Hide
by xHalosandwings
Summary: ON HIATUS. Fitzwinter High School is shaken up by the death of its most popular student, Maria Kanellis. No one is more shaken up than those closest to her. She may be gone but how will everyone's lives change? Multi-couples/characters.
1. Her Last Day

I've been really excited about this story for a while but I decided to wait it out to see whether I changed my mind.  
Two months later, I'm still eager to post it which is definitely a good sign!  
I was vaguely inspired by Pretty Little Liars but the idea, I think, is quite original.

The main characters will be John Cena, Layla El, Mickie James, Eve Torres and Matt and Jeff Hardy but there'll be other WWE/possibly TNA superstars involved.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

**HER LAST DAY**

Although she'd entered her second year of teaching, Miss Claire Martin still felt very fortunate that her first real job was at Fitzwinter High School.

It wasn't a private school but it was still perfectly desirable, ranked as one of the top state schools in New England. Named after the founder of the school, William Fitzwinter, its combination of old tradition and modern methods meant the waiting list of parents wanting to send their kids there was miles long.

Yes, the school itself was good but the students that attended weren't bad either, Claire thought with a smile. They were good kids with smart heads and bright futures. Aside from the occasional bump in the road, there was no funny business in or out of school.

For example, it was Monday period one; most teenagers would be half asleep at their desks but her junior literature class were absolutely buzzing, excited chatter filling the classroom. Most of it, surprisingly, was about the homework; finish reading _Of Mice and Men. _

"I can't believe Lennie died!" Eve Torres was a stunning Latina girl with book smarts and a sweet disposition. She was the kind of girl that could've been Queen Bee. Claire often observed that if it weren't for one other girl in the junior class – her best friend – she probably would be.

"I see you've reached the end of the book," The English teacher perched on the edge of her desk to look at her students, arms folded comfortably.

"He didn't deserve to die." She continued, completely wrapped up in the story. "I mean... he wasn't that bright and he made some mistakes but George shouldn't have killed him-"

"If George didn't kill Lennie, Lennie might've killed someone else. Yeah, Lennie didn't mean to hurt people but he was still a murderer. George killed Lennie for his own good; he was _saving_ him." From the back right corner of the classroom, it was John Cena that countered his friend.

Claire knew a school golden boy when she saw one, and that was John Cena. The captain of the football team was handsome, intelligent and polite to everyone he came across, as well as having the most beautiful girlfriend in the school. If she were still at high school and a couple of years younger, the twenty five year old knew she'd have been besotted with him.

The friends continued to bicker over _Of Mice and Men_ until Claire raised a hand. "Well, I'm pleased you've got such strong opinions as we'll be discussing Lennie's death in class and deciding whether George did the right thing, as quite obviously," She glanced at both students with a smile, "there are some differing views."

The young teacher grabbed the register off of her desk and ran through the list of names, only one absence on the list. Just as she finished the list with Eve Torres, the absentee came through the door.

"Come in, Miss Kanellis. I didn't realise the school timetable changed and class now started five minutes later." Claire commented with a raised eyebrow.

With a quick apology, the beautiful redhead sat down at her desk, shooting best friend Eve a beaming smile and blowing her boyfriend John a quick kiss. Fitzwinter was Maria Kanellis' school. Perhaps not in the literal sense but everyone knew Maria and for all the right reasons.

Firstly, she had the kind of beauty that you had to look twice at. Maria was always impeccably dressed. Then again, with her slim figure – all long legs and lean stomach – she could've worn a sack and made it fashionable. Today's ensemble was a simple floral mini dress and some silver flats which showed off her toned pins. But it wasn't her figure that was so stand out. Whether it was straight, curly, tied up, Maria Kanellis' red hair was almost as popular as her. She was a shoe in for the yearbook award 'Best Hair'.

Other than her good looks, Maria had so much else going for her. She was the girl that had time for everyone – whether you were her oldest friend or someone she'd just met. She never failed a test or missed a deadline and always came out with top marks. Other than the occasional late mark, no-one could touch her.

Aware of how everyone turned to stare at Maria when she entered the classroom, Claire gave a small headshake. "Are we ready to begin now?"

With Maria's dazzling smile as approval, Claire began her class.

* * *

There were always four of them that sat at _their_ lunch table underneath the main window, the one that got just enough sunlight that it was perfectly lit but not so much that you were blinded by the glare.

Of course, there was Maria and next to her was Eve. Across from them sat Rosa Mendes and Maryse Ouellet. It was pretty much the norm that Rosa was sat with them – she was Eve's cousin, after all – and wherever Rosa went, so did Maryse. The pair were a package deal. Rosa was harmless, a little dim but sweet however Maryse was a different ball game. The French-Canadian had been at the school for just over year and the more time the trio spent with her, the more they discovered she had a big mouth and didn't mind a little gossip. Not a total bitch, just...unaware there were limits.

"Tell me what that _thing_ is on Kelly Blank's head." Glancing across the cafeteria, Maryse squinted at the other blonde in disgust. "It looks like somebody's attached a horse's mane to her roots, which by the way, are in desperate need of some repair."

No-one commented. Eve was flicking through and scribbling into a notepad, Rosa was finishing up her chicken salad and Maria's eyes were elsewhere in the dining hall, her gaze dreamy and far away as it often were. It was difficult to tell what was going on behind those cat-like green eyes.

"Some girls just can't pull off weaves, can they Maria?" Maryse turned to the redhead with a pout when she didn't respond straight away. "Maria?"

Her head snapped around, innocently running a hand through her own naturally long locks. "Right." She shifted her weight over to Eve. "So did you ask your parents about next month?"

"What about it?" Rosa asked.

"It's Eve's birthday."

"Well...as long as my grades stay consistent and I keep up with my dancing as well, they've said it's pretty much a go." Eve smiled enthusiastically. "But don't tell everyone straight away; if it doesn't happen, I don't want people to think I'm lying." That last request was for Maryse's benefit, but she wasn't going to say it aloud.

"We need to go dress shopping." Maria announced, picking her bag up off the floor and slinging it over her shoulder. "Saturday?"

"It'll have to be-"

"-the afternoon because you've got ballet in the morning." Finishing off her best friend's sentence, she beamed and placed a kiss on her cheek. "How could I forget?" Leaving her friends, Maria walked over to her boyfriend, who was sat with his football buddies, and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, placing her lips against the side of his head. "Pick me up at eight o'clock?"

"What're we doing?" John looked round at her.

"Surprise me."

"Someone's getting lucky tonight." One of John's fellow footballers Adam grinned, high-fiving one of the other guys.

"And that someone's certainly not you." The redhead giggled at Adam, pinching a fry off of John's plate. "Damn, I'm hungry. I've gotta head to the library because Pickles decided it would be clever to set us an essay for _tomorrow_."

"Aren't you eating anything?"

She shook her head at her boyfriend. "No time." She grabbed a handful of fries and delicately placed one after the other in her mouth before swallowing with a grin. "To the library!"

With a final kiss, she left the cafeteria and on her way to the library, she took a short detour to the gymnasium where she knew the person she was looking for would be. Maria had to be discrete; this was her own dirty little secret. Everyone saw her as the school golden girl and she had no intention of letting that title be tarnished.

On the other side of the door, the sound of a basketball hitting the floor then the backboard was an indication that he was in there waiting for her. She pushed open the door and walked across the wood floor of the empty gymnasium to Matt Hardy.

"I didn't see you in the cafeteria so I assumed you'd be in here." They stood close to each other, as Maria looked up at Matt from under her long dark eyelashes. "Hiding out?"

"Waiting for you." The dark haired junior leaned over to kiss his secret girlfriend on the lips.

On the surface, Maria was dating John but behind his back, she received a little extra company from one of John's football friends, Matt Hardy. Even more reason to keep quiet? Matt had been dating Eve since freshman year. It wasn't that Maria didn't care for John – she loved him far more than she did Matt – but there was something about Hardy she just couldn't keep away from. Their relationship was dangerous and that was what she liked.

"Are you around tonight?" Matt asked, tossing the basketball aside to pull the slender girl closer to him.

Maria shook her head. "Sorry, I've already made plans with John. You need to move a little faster; I don't stay available for long."

"Damn, I can't get you to myself at all, can I?"

"You're not so easy yourself." She smirked, thinking of Matt constantly having to blow her off to hang out with Eve.

Running a hand across Maria's soft cheek, he sighed. "Are we ever going to tell people the truth about us?"

With a stunned expression, she pushed his hand off of her. "Seriously? Do you expect people to understand our relationship? John would end things with me, Eve would end things with you...you'd be completely shunned from the rest of the school."

"Just me? Why not you?"

"If the truth ever came out, something tells me I'd get away with it."

The gym went quiet as neither one said anything and Matt's basketball rolled away until it was stopped by the wall.

"Listen, I'm free tomorrow night so we can do something then." The redhead looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed. "I've gotta go. I'll text you." Noticing the scowl on Matt's face, she placed her hands either side of his head and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Please don't be angry with me." She whispered as she began to walk out of the gym.

* * *

"Maria, put the boy down and get your ass over to the car!"

Mickie James, Maria's stepsister, was stood over by her car, waiting for Maria to stop making out with her boyfriend so the pair could go home. Her requests were ignored, however, as the pair continued to kiss.

"Y'know, you're not really helping, John."

"It's not my fault your step-sister is so goddamn irresistible." He replied with a grin.

"Yeah, maybe if there weren't a 'step' in that sentence, those genes would be shared around." Mickie muttered.

Both girls were the same age and had been step-sisters for around five years. Instantly, Mickie's father and Maria's mother predicted there'd be some competition between the two girls but instead, they got along like a house on fire. The girls had been in the same schools since kindergarten so they knew each other anyway; some said they could've been real sisters considering how quickly they bonded.

Sure, on occasion, the petite, slightly curvier brunette felt envious of the striking willowy redhead but she didn't dwell on it. All it meant was if Mickie wanted to go shopping, there was someone with great style that would be willing to go with her.

Getting into the driver's seat and honking the horn, Mickie unwound the window and shouted, "If you don't start moving, Kanellis, I'm leaving without you!"

The redhead whispered something in her boyfriend's ear, only widening the grin on his face, before she walked over to the car and got into the passenger seat. "Jeez, don't get snippy."

"Whatever." Mickie started up the car with a small smile and drove out of the school parking lot, turning on the radio so it was quietly playing in the background. "Have you started the Pickles essay yet?"

"Nope."

"And it's due for tomorrow." She let her jaw drop slightly. She'd spent her whole lunch break writing up that essay and she _still_ wasn't finished. "Pickles is gonna kill you."

"No he won't. Pickles loves me and lets me get away with anything." She rifled through her step-sister's CDs in the glove compartment whilst humming along to the All-American Rejects that came through the speakers.

"Oh to be such a beauty."

The pair continued to chat idly until they reached some traffic lights and Maria remembered her conversation with Eve at lunchtime. "Eve and I are going shopping this Saturday. Wanna come?"

"I think I said I'd go with Melina but I guess we could meet for lunch or something." Mickie compromised, briefly checking her cell phone whilst the car was at a standstill. Ever the safe driver, she didn't like taking any risks whilst she was at the wheel.

"I'd have thought Melina would be hanging around with her new boyfriend. What's his name, John...?"

"Morrison." Mickie responded, pulling out as the lights went green. "Considering the guys he hangs round with are douches, he's pretty cool actually and she really likes him but I think-"

"Shit, Mickie!" The brunette didn't finish her sentence as she found herself stunned by a Land Rover coming straight towards her own car with no signs of slowing.

Both girls were screaming as Maria leaned over to driver's seat and manoeuvred the steering wheel so they swerved. They weren't quick enough, however, as the Land Rover continued to fly towards them until it hit the car at full speed and they both blacked out.

It felt like hours later that Mickie felt herself wake up, flashing blue lights behind her lids. When she opened her eyes, there were people surrounding the car and she was watching from the outside, laid on a stretcher. She tried to sit up but someone in a police woman ran over and told her to lie down again. Paramedics and police were everywhere, as well as people that were surrounding the area to see what had happened.

"Where's Maria?" She managed to whisper.

Her question was answered by her step-sister lying on the stretcher next to her, Maria's catlike green eyes were wide open and a large gash dented her milky skin. The normally pale flesh was positively white.

"Is she going to be okay?"

This question was answered a couple of seconds later, as Maria's lifeless body was slipped into a black bag and zipped up, marking the last time Mickie would ever see her.

* * *

Starting off with a bang, right? :) Well, do you think I should carry this on? Please **review** and let me know!

**Next time** - _A week has passed since Maria's death and everyone reacts in a different way. _


	2. Aftermath

Thank you to all those that reviewed. You're all amazeeeee.  
Considering the amount of subs I get, I wouldn't have minded a few more views but I'll carry on because I'm really excited about this fic :)

Hope you enjoy chapter 2 :)

* * *

**AFTERMATH**

For Mickie, the past week had been the worst of her life.

Her step-sister's sudden death had been nothing less than devastating and Mickie was definitely struggling to deal with it. It felt as if someone had reached into her chest and was squeezing at her heart, draining the rest of her body of blood and emotion. She was exhausted, physically and mentally, and didn't know how to deal with her feelings.

The first couple of days after the car accident were just awful. Mickie couldn't stop crying, her eyes were constantly red and puffy and she'd bury herself in bed all day, her earphones jammed into her ears so she didn't have to listen to anyone other than Ron Pope and Secondhand Serenade. She couldn't sleep at night and when she did, she'd be woken up by the nightmare flashbacks to the day Maria died. The image of her step-sister's dead frame being taken away in a body bag would wake her in a cold sweat with warm tears leaving her eyes so she cried into her pillow until she fell asleep again.

No, Mickie wasn't crying anymore but things weren't exactly easier. Now she just felt...numb. Like she was just a body and there was nothing inside, just skin and bones. She walked around her house like a ghost, as if Maria had taken Mickie's spirit to the other side with her.

Even though she was drained, she was now being helpful. Deciding not to elongate the process anymore, Richard James and Janet Kanellis decided to start sorting out Maria's bedroom. Most of her items went into the attic but her clothes were another debate. Richard suggested auctioning them off at school but Mickie was completely against the idea. The thought of seeing people around school wearing Maria's clothes was mortifying. Who'd want to wear the dead girl's clothes anyway? In the end, they decided to just send them to a charity store.

At least she didn't have to worry about hanging around the house. It was her first day back at Fitzwinter High and it was just as hard as she expected.

Standing at her locker, every eye in the Guymer Hallway was on Mickie. They all felt sorry for her and she knew it. Trying to ignore their prying stares, she continued to look for her history textbook, buried deep at the back of her locker.

"Hiding out?"

Behind Mickie stood her best friend, Melina Perez. The pair had been close since junior high when Melina moved from Los Angeles.

"A little bit." Mickie admitted.

No more words were needed as the Latina pulled her grieving friend in for a hug, able to offer her little else. Other than the occasional text message, they hadn't had much contact; Mickie had definitely isolated herself. Upon hearing the bell, they separated and headed for history. "So this is probably a stupid question," Melina began, "But how're you holding up?"

"Knowing I'm never going to see her again is the worst thing." Mickie decided after a couple of seconds, lowering her voice as they entered the classroom. "I'm never gonna go down for breakfast and see Maria dancing around to the radio, eating Magic Charms...and the ride to school this morning sucked." She attempted a laugh at the understatement of her words. "Normally she'd riding shotgun, going on and on about John. I used to tell her to shut up but right now I'd give anything to hear her again."

"I know, sweetie-"

"Mickie?" The brunette turned around and saw Dolph Ziggler stood there, nervously there wringing his hands together. "I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what happened to Maria..."

This didn't surprise Mickie. Dolph was Maria's first real boyfriend from freshman year – the guy Maria lost her virginity to – and they really loved each other. It was just a shame Dolph had an eye for the ladies and slept with Kaitlyn the cheerleader after four months. Maria never held a grudge though; she said it was Dolph's loss and a month later, she started dating John and never looked back. It just showed what kind of girl Maria was; even after he cheated on her, she was nothing but nice to him and they managed to be friends.

"...yeah, I mean, she and I had our ups and downs but I always cared about her." He continued. "I'm gonna miss her so much...I can't believe she's really gone."

"Me neither," Mickie whispered.

When Mickie didn't continue, Melina leaned forward to smile at Dolph. "We're all gonna miss her. She was a great girl."

Luckily, no-one had to say anything else as the door swung open and their history teacher Mr Conrad walked in, barely acknowledging Mickie other than with a small nod. If anything, that was reassuring; she didn't want special treatment, she wanted to move on. "It's presentation day!" He announced, eliciting groans from the whole class apart from Mickie, who stared straight ahead. "So who's first?"

Through three presentations, Mickie drowned out the voices. Maria used to be in this class, sat on the desk behind her, and whenever Conrad went off on one of his boring rants, the redhead would pass notes to Mickie.

"Mr Ziggler?" Conrad's loud Texas accent brought Mickie back to reality. "Your turn!"

"The thing is, sir-"

"Oh dear, what's the excuse now? The dog ate it? The cat was sick on it? Come on, boy, you've had two weeks to prepare a good excuse."

Cautiously, Dolph glanced over at Mickie. "Maria was my partner."

Each member of the class gawped at Mickie, as if they expected her to run out of the classroom in floods of tears. Instead, she stared straight ahead at Conrad, waiting to see how he solved the problem.

"Well," The colour rose in the history teacher's cheeks. "You can find a new partner and do it next week."

"Thank you, sir." Dolph sat back down.

Deciding to take initiative, Mickie tapped Dolph on the shoulder, as he sat on the desk across from her. "Hey, I'll be your new partner."

"Really?"

"I've got to catch up on the work," She shrugged, "Plus, I think we still have Maria's notes at home."

"Cool," Dolph grinned. "Thanks."

Feeling the rest of the class eavesdropping on her conversation with Dolph, the brunette sank down in her chair. Hopefully not all her classes would go like this.

* * *

"...so she turns to me –she's totally up for anything at this point – and she says 'Right here, right now, Adam'."

All of the football team sat enthralled by Adam Copeland's tale, their forks frozen mid air and mouths open as they listened to yet another of his sexual escapades. "So what did you do?" Jack Swagger, a recent transfer from Oklahoma who was still in his first month at the school, found himself enthralled.

"What do you think I did?" Adam laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I grabbed a rubber from the glove box and fucked her on the backseat."

High fives ensued as the footballers table erupted into congratulations for the blonde charmer and all his successes from the previous night. Somehow, even John found himself cracking a smile at Adam's ability to win over the ladies.

"Not bad, right? Not bad." The Canadian whispered to himself, his fingers tapping at the table as he glanced over at John, whose smile was now fading again. "I was planning on going out again on Friday," He announced for the benefit of John. "You guys coming?"

After a collective grunt of 'yes', attention turned to John Cena.

"Sure, why not." The captain agreed, to which the other guys actually looked shocked at. "Yeah, it'd be good for me to get out again."

"Awesome, so I said I'd meet-"

"_Would John Cena please come to Principal Winston's office. That's John Cena to Principal Winston's office." _

The sound of Principal Winston's assistant Sarah came through the PA system and the captain got to his feet, aware that everyone would be wondering what was going on between them in the office. After all, even before Maria's death, his own business seemed to be of the utmost interest to everyone else.

He walked the hallways towards the office and when there, sat down on a chair outside, at the instruction of Sarah. It was deathly silence, other than the scratching of the assistant's pencil. After about a minute or two, Sarah called John inside.

Principal Winston was sat at his desk, typing at his computer, brow furrowed in concentration. A couple of seconds later, he looked up at the football captain and smiled. "Ah John, sit down." He signalled at the available seat, which John sat on. "I wanted to see how you were doing. I haven't had the chance to speak to you since Maria's...accident."

He said accident as if it wouldn't remind John that his girlfriend died.

"It's been weird." John replied.

It was strange how things turned out. How you could go from kissing your girlfriend after school, to go on to football practise, to have your phone battery die, to hang out with the guys at the local burger joint and finally to come home and have your mom tell you that she couldn't get in touch with you to tell you that your girlfriend had died a couple of hours ago in a car crash.

John couldn't get his head around it.

He didn't feel depressed or distraught because it didn't feel real. To him, it felt as though Maria was still alive, just not with them. She'd been in his life for so long it was difficult to consider her not being around.

"It's certainly been an adjustment for everyone at school." Principal Winston said delicately. "I called you in here, John, because a couple of weeks ago, you said you'd show around a new student who'll be arriving in a couple of days."

"Oh yeah, the girl from England."

"Yes. The offer obviously still stands for you to be her tour guide however taking recent events into account," The principal paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "If you don't want to show her around, I'll understand and assign someone else the role."

"Actually, I'd still really like to do it. It'll take my mind off of Maria." As soon as the words left his mouth, John realised how insensitive it sounded. "I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry, John, I understand." Principal Winston smiled. The sound of the school bell cut off any further conversation. "You'd better get to class, I don't want you to be late."

"Thanks sir." John left the office and made his way to his math class.

He took his usual seat, he watched the substitute teacher copy the page numbers up onto the board and he flipped through his textbook to find the work. Other than the sinking feeling inside, like his stomach had been lined with rocks, he felt nothing.

Maria was gone and he felt nothing.

* * *

Jeff Hardy never told anyone how he felt about Maria Kanellis.

His love of her began at the beautiful redhead's third grade birthday party. She'd invited the whole class to her house where she was celebrating with a magician, party games and a giant pink cake.

The younger Hardy was a shy kid and preferred to hang out on his own or with his older brother Matt but his mother firmly told him 'You're going to that little girl's party and you're going to interact with the other kids.' And in the end, he had a lot of fun. The magician made him drink a glass of water and then squeezed water out of his elbow, which made him and all the kids laugh for the rest of the party.

The best part of the day was when everyone sat in a circle and watched the birthday girl open her presents. Mrs Hardy insisted she buy a present for Maria but Jeff wanted to make her something himself; he'd spelt out 'Maria' in Scrabble pieces and threaded them onto a black string so she could wear it around her neck. When she opened the present, her green eyes sparkled and her grin only widened.

"I love it." She giggled, pulling the string down over her head so she could put it on straight away. "Thank you." She crawled across the circle to where Jeff was sat and placed a kiss on his cheek, to which all the adults that sat around the edge of the room cooed at.

Although it was almost a decade ago, that kiss had lingered on Jeff's cheek, no matter how many times he washed it. The first girl that ever showed any real genuine appreciation towards him was Maria and for that, he'd never forget her, despite the fact they hadn't properly spoken since that party.

Yet now she was dead. This girl – this enigma – that he'd worshipped from afar since his childhood was gone and he'd never see her again. No-one knew of his feelings for her and it wasn't like he could say now. There was very little he could do, except walk to her locker and lay down his bouquet of flowers next to everyone else's.

It was a sad sight. Everyday Maria would stand at this spot, laughing with her friends as she got her books out of her locker. Now it was just somewhere where people could wonder how something so horrible had happened.

"You made a good choice. She really liked carnations, especially the yellow ones. Actually, yellow was one of her favourite colours so she liked any yellow flower."

Looking to his right, Jeff saw Eve, Maria's best friend and his brother's girlfriend. He didn't know Eve that well – they hadn't spent a lot of time together – but she seemed like a nice enough girl. It was impossible for him to imagine how she was feeling, considering her best friend had just died.

"And you left a note?" The brunette picked up the bouquet and read the piece of paper aloud, making the colour rise in Jeff's cheeks. "'_You have no idea how many lives you touched in your short time on earth. Maybe I'll see you again someday. Jeff Hardy. X'" _

There was a silence as they just absorbed what Eve had read aloud, Jeff awkwardly shuffling his feet and Eve letting her eyes run over the note time and time again.

"It's true though, isn't it? There were so many people that cared about her and none of us realised. Hell, some people didn't realise they cared about her until _after_ she was gone." Eve used the back of her hand to wipe at her teary eyes, clearly overcome with emotion. "I'm sorry, I've been a mess since...it happened."

Jeff wasn't too sure of what to do. He reached out a gently touched Eve's arm but she responded by throwing herself into his arms and sobbing into his shoulder. It was a bit of a blur for Jeff, as a couple of seconds later, Matt seemed to come out of nowhere and take her away from Maria's locker, the sight which brought so much sadness to her heart.

* * *

Please leave a **review** and let me know what you thought :)

**Next time - **_Maria's funeral arrives and everyone says goodbye. _


	3. Nobody Said It Was Easy

Thank you for all the reviews/subs/favourites etc, you're all lovely :) Here's chapter 3.

* * *

**NOBODY SAID IT WAS EASY**

Mickie stood in front of her bedroom mirror, unable to take her eyes off the unfamiliar frame that stood in front of her. Turning her head, the black skirt, shirt and heels were laid out on her desk chair but she felt reluctant to put them on, instead standing uncomfortably in the sweatpants and oversized tee she'd slept in. It was as if the second those black clothes – her funeral clothes – touched her body, it would mean that Maria was really gone.

Time had passed quickly and already, here she was, getting ready to attend her step-sister's funeral. Worst of all, she was beginning to blame herself for what had transpired. Maybe if she'd have swerved in a different direction, things would've changed. She could've been the one in the body bag, the one everyone was crying over-

"Mickie?" There was a knock at her bedroom door and Maria's mother Janet entered.

Everytime Mickie looked at Janet, she saw Maria. The pair were two of a kind; Maria certainly had her mother's long red hair and slender figure as well as the same carefree attitude to life. Well, Janet wasn't so carefree anymore. The older woman was certainly knocked for six by her daughter's death and despite trying to keep a strong front, it was clear she was emotionally drained.

"I don't want to rush you but we need to leave for the church in ten minutes." Janet was dressed in a black dress that hung loosely over her slim body and her red hair was tied back into a tight bun, as opposed to letting it flow in its usual waves.

"Okay," Mickie nodded, looking over at the clothes but not reacting to what she was being told.

Janet didn't rush Mickie though, instead she sat down on the edge of the brunette's bed and looked out of the window. "It doesn't feel right, does it? Saying goodbye to Pumpkin." Janet had called Maria 'Pumpkin' since she was a little kid, mainly because of her red hair and because she _loved_ Halloween. Most kids were psyched for Christmas but no, Maria spent months organising her costume and always wanted to have the most exciting plans.

It was impossible for Mickie to imagine how Janet was feeling. It was difficult enough for her to say goodbye to her step-sister but having your own daughter die so young and under such horrible circumstances? When Janet gave birth to her daughter, how was she to know she wouldn't even see Maria graduate high school? Maria going off to college, Maria getting a degree, Maria getting married, Maria having kids; there was such a big world out there and so much she'd never experience.

"She was just a kid." Janet's voice shook slightly, before she swallowed and composed herself. "I'm glad you're okay. I don't know what your father and I would've done if you hadn't made it either."

Instantly, Janet realised this wasn't the right thing to say, as Mickie turned as white as a sheet.

"I'll leave you to get dressed." Maria's mother exited, leaving Mickie in peace. She went to walk down the stairs but found herself taking a detour and entering Maria's bedroom.

It was pretty much empty as everything had either been taken to charity shops or was in the attic. The walls were still a garish pink colour that Janet always told Maria was too bright and all that was left was furniture; her wardrobe, bedside table and bed which still held the striped duvet and scattering of pillows. Richard and Janet thought clearing out Maria's room would help them heal faster but for Janet, it just reminded her of what she lost. Janet could hear Maria's contagious laughter somewhere deep in her head and she could smell her daughter's floral perfume.

Janet didn't allow herself to fully go inside, she stood in the doorway frowning. "Goodbye pumpkin."

* * *

"Are you gonna be able to get through this?"

Eve turned to her left where Matt was sat in the driver's seat of his car. They were parked outside the church and people were already filing in for Maria's funeral. The deceased's best friend wasn't quite ready to go inside though.

"I don't have much choice, do I?" She whispered.

"If it's any consolation, you look beautiful."

No, it wasn't any consolation but Eve appreciated her boyfriend's kindness. Her mother had come back from one of her business trips to New York with an understated yet beautiful black Isabel Marant dress and some matching Jimmy Choos. Normally the fashion lover would be thrilled but today, the clothes were just fabric; they wouldn't help her and they wouldn't bring Maria back. "Thank you." She eventually said, running her fingers through her brown curls.

"Once today's over, maybe we can all move on and get some closure-"

"You think after today, everything's just going to return to normal?" Eve snapped suddenly at her boyfriend. She couldn't believe what Matt was saying and she banged her fist down on the dashboard, feeling tears springing in her eyes. "My best friend died in a car accident, it's gonna take more than an Isabel Marant dress and burying Maria to heal this!"

Matt had to bite his tongue to stop himself yelling back at Eve. She thought he didn't understand; of course he did. He had stronger feelings for Maria than he could let on and he had to bottle if all up which was even worse. Everyone else could cry and mourn but he couldn't do anything. He looked at his girlfriend; her wobbling lips and damp eyes; what was he meant to do? He used his thumb to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I'm so sorry baby." Eve leaned forward to kiss Matt softly on the lips. "I shouldn't be pushing you away, I really need you today."

"It's fine, today's going to be difficult for everyone."

Neither of them said anything and there was a deathly silence outside too as the James-Kanellis' approached the church doors. Janet stood in-between Mickie and Richard as they each held one of her hands.

"We should go inside." Eve decided. Matt looked to her for conformation and she nodded. It was time.

* * *

There was a light tug on the elbow of John's black shirt and when he turned around, a petite woman with a dark brown bob was there to greet him. "You were her boyfriend, weren't you?"

He nodded. No-one ever said who they were talking about anymore; people just knew.

"I'm Richard's older sister, Mickie's aunt and Maria's step aunt." The woman explained. Her gaze fell over to the mantel piece where a photo of the step sisters on last year's family holiday to the Grand Canyon sat. Sunglasses covered their eyes but their smiles were beaming, reflecting happier times in the family. "I consider myself a Christian but it's times like this when my faith is tested. How could God take away someone with so much left to give to this world?"

John didn't know how to respond.

"What happened was tragic. Mickie must be in pieces." She tore her eyes away from the photo to look up at John, a gentle smile gracing her features. "It was a beautiful service."

It was only the second funeral John had ever attended – the first being his grandpa's when he was barely out of kindergarten and therefore he had little recollection of. He knew Maria's funeral would stick with him for a long time. The whole day had been sombre. The service was short and peaceful and afterwards, everyone walked down to the spot Maria would be buried and watched as her coffin was lowered into the ground.

Even as that happened, John couldn't quite grasp what was going on. Was he such a bad person for feeling nothing? He'd never experienced grief before but everyone apparently acted in different ways. Maybe this was just his way of going about it.

After the funeral, everyone returned to Richard and Janet's house. There was a buffet and everyone stood around talking. People kept telling John how 'tragic' Maria's death was and yeah, he agreed but somehow he just wasn't as emotional as everyone else. All her friends cried – damn, he even thought he saw Matt Hardy shed a tear during the service – and surely the dead girl's boyfriend should be the most crushed.

Across the room, John caught Richard's eye. He was the nearest thing Maria had to a father and John could sense his pain, even if he wouldn't show it. A small nod from each man happened before John excused himself from Richard's sister and escaped the crowded living room for some fresh air.

He got himself a drink from the kitchen and walked up the silent stairs. The whole of the upstairs seemed so desolate compared to the usually friendly atmosphere of the house. All the doors were shut – Janet and Richard's bedroom, the main bathroom, the study/guest room, Mickie's bedroom and Maria's bedroom. Cautiously, he opened Maria's bedroom door and was greeted by a figure sitting in the darkness on the floor, their back to Maria's bed.

"Hello?" He switched on the light and saw the figure was Mickie.

The brunette's eyes were red and although she wasn't crying, there looked to be tears on her cheeks. "What're you doing up here?"

"Things are a bit too heavy downstairs. I needed to get out."

"Yeah, that's why I'm up here." She admitted, wiping her wet cheeks against her shirt sleeve.

"What're you listening to?" John signalled at the iPod on Mickie's lap. It was Maria's.

"Coldplay. I don't know why I'm listening to her iPod when we have pretty much all the same music." She laughed softly, her thumb running over the gadget. "Dad and Janet don't know I still have this...it was in the glove box of my car. I just don't really want to throw it away, you know?"

"Maria loved her iPod. She'd hate for you to just get rid of it." He'd been stood with his hands in his pockets before asking "Need some company?"

She nodded sadly and John sat down on the floor next to her, taking one of the earphones and letting Mickie rest her head against his shoulder as 'The Scientist' took them away for a little while.

* * *

Please leave a **review** :) xx

**Next time – **_There's a new girl at Fitzwinter High School and Jeff makes a startling discovery. _


	4. Brand New Eyes

Thank you for the reviews, my darlings :) Here's chapter 4...

* * *

**BRAND NEW EYES**

Layla El had never been the new girl before.

Back in England, there was always someone she knew and she was the girl everyone wanted to be around. She had an amazing group of friends that now she was in America, she was at risk of losing. Facebook would be okay for a while but in the long run, ties would be severed and everyone would go their separate ways. It sucked but that was life.

"This must be a big transition for you, Miss El but at Fitzwinter, we'll do our best to make sure you feel right at home." Principal Winston seemed nice, she thought.

Her mum – or 'mom' as they say in the USA – was sat to her left, an encouraging smile on her face. Her parents split up about two years earlier and Layla wasn't on speaking terms with her father, who was now living on Primrose Hill with his new architect wife and their baby son, who Layla still hadn't met. Their relationship was strained and she'd only seen him around four times in the past two years, even when they were living five minutes apart in London. When Debbie El's publishing company transferred her to the States, it only seemed right that mother and daughter moved together despite the further gap this would drive between Layla and her dad Steve.

"Layla's a very social girl. I'm sure she'll have no problem fitting in." Debbie said brightly.

"Well, Mrs El, she'll be shown around by one of our most loved students who I'm sure will introduce her to some good kids-" A knock at the door stopped Winston mid-sentence. "That must be him now. Come in, John."

God bless America. Layla had to bite down on her lip to stop herself smiling like a lunatic. This guy was clearly the 'jock' but damn, he looked like something out of an Abercrombie & Fitch campaign. He had a handsome face, warm eyes, short brown hair and one of the most natural smiles Layla had ever seen. And where was she meant to begin on that body? His grey t-shirt wasn't even tight and she could see his ripped abs and muscular arms. He looked like a Greek God...except he was America...to say Layla was flustered was an understatement.

"John, this is Layla El, our new student from England." Winston made introductions. "Layla, this is John Cena, your tour guide."

"Pleasure to meet you." He nodded politely at both Miss El and Mrs El, who looked as if she were about to release her inner cougar.

After Principal Winston ushered them both off, John and Layla walked through the school, him giving the new student a tour before classes began. It was still early and students were just filtering onto the high school campus. "So, not wanting to sound clichéd but how're you finding America?"

"I feel like I'm in a teen movie." She observed utterly serious, making John laugh. "Honestly! At my old school in England, there are no lockers and bells, we don't sit at those weird single desks and principals are called head teachers or head masters. This is like...a completely different planet."

"Give it a month and I bet you'll be a hot dog eating, baseball cap wearing Yank that calls 'football' soccer." John grinned.

"Never will the word soccer leave my lips." She paused. "Okay, ignore that. Starting now, _that_ word will never leave my lips."

Layla had to admit, the school was nice. It was no wonder her mother was so keen for her to go there, it looked like something out of a story book. On the outside, it resembled an old British boarding school but with lockers and all the students being American.

"What've you got first period?" John scanned Layla's timetable whilst she struggled with her locker. "Snap. English with Miss Martin."

Turning around from her locker, Layla mocked surprise. "What? You Americans read?"

"You know what else? Not all of us are fat hillbillies that have been in the audience for Jerry Springer."

"You learn something new every day."

With a smile, John leaned over and opened Layla's locker with ease. "I like you already, Layla El."

* * *

"I know America's role in World War Two is hardly a thrilling topic but I can tell you're definitely not feeling this." Dolph watched Mickie from across their table in the library. A history textbook sat in front of the brunette but she wasn't even looking at it; her chin was rested on her fist and she was staring into space, completely oblivious to everyone around her.

"Huh?" She snapped back to reality and looked at Dolph, who'd already made a couple of pages of notes. "Sorry, I'm not being very helpful, am I?"

"Not really but its okay, we've still got a couple of days left to do it."

"Yeah but there's no point putting it off." She rifled through her papers until she found the article she was looking for. "I'll make the slideshow after school and send it to you when it's done so you can make any corrections you think I need to."

"That sounds good." Dolph gathered up his books and piled them into his backpack, before glancing over at Mickie who'd once again gone off into a daydream. He lightly nudged her shoulder and said "Mickie?"

"Sorry." She apologized. "I'm just...tired."

That wasn't a total lie. Mickie was tired but her lack of concentration had become a recurring thing. It was something she found very difficult to both control and accept; she was a straight A student and the front-runner for valedictorian in senior year and here she was, unable to finish a simple history project. Maria's death had hit her almost as hard as the Land Rover that flew at their car and she was definitely finding it difficult to refocus.

"Listen, you're clearly not in the mood to do this today and that's fine." Dolph began gathering up his books. "Tomorrow afterschool; we can meet then. It'll be fine."

The brunette nodded and watched as Dolph walked out of the library, leaving her sat alone at her table, staring at Maria's notes. The ink on the page still smelt fresh as she thought of her step-sister, sat at the desk in her bedroom scribbling into her polkadot notepad and chewing on the edge of her pen.

"_Layla, I'm serious, see that librarian over there? Everyone is convinced her husband is tied up in a cupboard somewhere in their house." _

A bookshelf separated Mickie from John Cena but it was only when Dolph left that she heard his voice. His comment was responded by female laughter that Mickie didn't recognise. Subtly, she peeked through the rows of books and saw John sat at a table with an unfamiliar girl.

Mickie had heard there was a new girl coming and she assumed that must have been her. Layla was one of the prettiest girls that Mickie had ever seen, genuinely stunning. She was of some sort of foreign descent, possibly Moroccan but she spoke with a British accent. Her hair was shoulder-length and silky brown whilst her skin was flawless. The exotic beauty wore white skinny jeans and a black tank-top but pulled off the simple attire to perfection.

The way John and Layla were sat made them look close, almost couple-like. They were sat side-by-side but were both facing inwards, their knees practically touching under the table. The work they'd been doing had been pushed aside and they just simply talking, laughing and occasionally hushing each other if they gained the attention of the librarians.

Not saying anything but feeling even worse than she had before, Mickie gathered up her notes and left the library.

* * *

His whole life, Jeff Hardy had been told he was a dreamer. Everyone that met him told him so, not to mention it was written on virtually every report card he had ever received. When he was in class, it was often just easier to drift into another world than stay in the boredom of reality.

Sometimes this was a good attribute to have; it art, English and even music, he excelled and was the dark horse of the class when it came to his grades. It didn't help, however, when it came to math and science, as the youngest Hardy sat at his kitchen table, slaving over his algebra homework. To him, it was just a bunch of numbers and letters pushed together for no purpose other than to confuse him. He couldn't afford another low mark on a test though, or it'd be detentions every night for two weeks. Mr Oman could be a real douche bag when he wanted to be.

"Are you okay, honey?" His mother Elizabeth asked from the sink, where she was washing up the dishes from dinner. The stay-at-home mom took off her rubber gloves and came over to see what her son was doing.

"Algebra." Jeff replied, matter-of-factly.

"I always hated math in high school. Your father's good at this kind of thing." His father – the college math lecturer – _was_ good at this kind of thing; only problem was he was in the middle of one of his after dinner naps and it was practically a sin in the Hardy house to wake him. Elizabeth knew this, as she quickly said "Matt might have something that'll help you?"

Jeff scoffed. Matt hated school, full-stop.

"Well, he has drawers full of school books he hasn't touched. In fact, I remember cleaning in there a couple of months ago and finding a math study guide – there might be something in there that could help you. Go have a look."

Another scoff came from Jeff. The older Hardy was at Eve's house for the evening and even when he was at home, he was ridiculously private when it came to his bedroom.

"There's no harm in looking."

Knowing his mother would persist until he looked Jeff got up from the kitchen table and went upstairs. He hesitated for a moment before entering the room.

It was no wonder he never let anyone inside, the place was an absolute tip. Half-worn clothes were scattered across the floor, a pile of plates and cups sat on his desk, waiting to be washed and his bed didn't look as if it had been made in weeks. Jeff didn't claim to be a saint when it came to cleaning but he was nowhere near as bad as Matt. The only pristine thing about Matt's bedroom was a pile of laundry their mother had dropped off that morning – Elizabeth had given up on cleaning Matt's pigsty and now only breezed through to make sure his clothes didn't smell.

Wondering if he might stumble across a rodent of some sort, Jeff went over to the drawers of Matt's desk. Rifling through, he found a selection of books, all as untouched as the day they were bought; a copy of _The Tempest_ and a copy of _Twelfth Night_ from when he studied Shakespeare, a biology textbook and a binder on President Roosevelt's time in office but underneath all the knowledge lay something Jeff didn't expect to find.

He tentatively picked up the pair of underwear that had been shoved to the bottom of the drawer; a blue thong with a silk butterfly on the back. His instant reaction would've led him to believe it belonged to Eve but an incident that had occurred a couple of months prior told Jeff this wasn't the case...

_The crowded halls of Fitzpatrick could be a nightmare between classes, especially for those trying to get stuff from their lockers. Jeff discovered long ago that if you stayed close to the walls, you were in safe territory. Everyone said the time between classes was a great time to social with people, especially those with lockers around yours. Considering on one side of Jeff's locker was the relatively new and extremely stuck-up French-Canadian stunner Maryse Ouellet and the other side was the freshman Thai student that spoke limited English, Jeff decided that maybe this wasn't the case. _

_There was one good thing about being 'locker buddies' with Maryse; often Maria would come and visit the blonde. Today was one of those days, as Maria, Maryse and Eve were all stood within Jeff's earshot. Every so often, he was able to glance over at Maria; today she looked beautiful, in a simple grey scoop-neck t-shirt and some black skinny jeans with her hair tied up in a ponytail. _

"_Can you believe that test Oman set? Question five was just plain mean." Eve complained, holding her books close to her chest. _

"_Come on Eve, you do amazing in every test you do. This one will be no different." Maria reassured her friend, stepping out into the hallway to playfully slap her friend's arm. As she stepped out, one freshman rushed past, shoulder tackling the redhead and knocking her school bag right off her shoulder. _

"_Hey, watch where you're going, loser!" Maryse yelled after the kid. _

"_It's fine Maryse. None of my stuff even fell out." Maria bent over to pick up her bag and as she did, Jeff found it impossible not to look as a butterfly poked out from under her jeans, folding over the top of her silver belt. _

"_Nice butterfly." Maryse smirked as Maria straightened up. _

"_I don't like thongs." Eve commented with a frown. "Matt really likes me in them but I just find them...uncomfortable." _

"_I thought it was cute." The redhead said with a curt smile, before the three girls disappeared down the hall. _

...What was Matt doing with Maria's underwear? Only one thought seemed to spring into Jeff's mind but he couldn't comprehend the possibility of it ever happening. What seemed like the wisest choice was to put the underwear back where he found it and pretend he never found anything.

"_Did you find anything?" _His mother called from the kitchen.

He certainly found something.

* * *

Please leave a **review** :) xx

**Next time **– _Jeff tries to confront Matt about Maria and Eve climbs the social ladder_.


	5. Taking The Reins

Thank you to everyone that's reviewed :)  
Apologies for the wait - FF's been a pain lately and I've just worked out how to get around the whole 'I can't update' thing  
Anyway, here's chapter 5...

* * *

**TAKING THE REINS**

"So, have either of you boys got anything interesting happening at school today?"

Elizabeth Hardy broke the silence of the breakfast table, smiling brightly at her sons, neither of whom had said anything since coming downstairs for breakfast that morning. _Teenage boys_, _what a handful,_ she thought to herself. She looked over at Matt, who shrugged his shoulders and at Jeff, who was staring into his bowl of cereal.

"I'll take that as a no then." She began clearly up the empty plates but continued to talk. "Matt, I was thinking maybe you could invite Eve over for dinner on Friday. She's always loved my stuffed chicken breasts and I thought maybe I could-"

"Yeah, I'll speak to her about it today." Matt interrupted. "Can I be excused? I've gotta get ready for school." When his mom nodded, he exited the kitchen.

"What's going on with your brother at the moment? He's been acting really strangely."

"Dunno." Jeff muttered, pushing his half-full cereal bowl away from him. "I'm not really hungry, d'you mind if I go get ready for school?" His mother sighed and following his brother's lead, he exited the kitchen and made his way upstairs.

The truth was that when Jeff established that he should just forget about what he found out, he didn't realise how challenging it would be to keep it off his mind. All he could think about was Matt and Maria and the possibility that something had happened between them and the repercussions if the truth ever came out.

Pushing his own feelings for Maria aside, he thought about the relationships that Matt and Maria shared. Although Jeff didn't know Eve very well, it was blatant that she cared for Matt and it seemed just cruel that he might have cheated on her. And on the surface, Maria and John Cena seemed like the perfect couple and their business was everyone else's business at school; if there was a problem, it would've been all over the hallways.

Was it really possible that Matt and Maria could've been sleeping together? If so, how had they gotten away with it? The pair had known each other for years and were casual friends, making it seem even crazier. They weren't particularly close and Jeff never knew of them hanging out without John or Eve present.

Jeff knew he should've been angry with both of them but in the kindest way possible, it was hard to be angry at the dead girl you'd been in love with for years. Instead, most of his disappointment was aimed at Matt, the older brother that should've known better. _Damn_, Jeff thought, _even in death Maria came out smelling of roses._

"Hey Matt?" Jeff knocked on the door of his brother's room. When he responded with a grunt that could've been a welcoming, he went inside. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sorry man, I'm running late." Matt replied, piling books into his backpack that he was pretty much guaranteed not to use. "I said I'd pick Eve up five minutes ago. Did you want a ride?"

"Not today, I think Shannon's driving me to school. He's pretty psyched about his new car." Matt's room hadn't improved much since Jeff was last in there. If anything, it was messier. "Are you gonna clean up before Eve comes over on Friday?"

"When you say 'clean up', do you mean shove everything under the bed and into drawers? If so, then yes, I'll be 'cleaning up'. It just needs to give off the impression of being tidy; what she doesn't know won't hurt her." Jeff arched an eyebrow, _you have no idea. _"Okay, I've gotta go–"

"But Matt–"

"If it's urgent, come find me at lunch or something."

The older Hardy swung his bag over his shoulder and left his bedroom. As soon as Jeff heard Matt's car pull out of the driveway, he went into the drawer where he'd found the underwear the other day. As suspected, they were still sat there under a pile of books in the same spot Jeff left them.

Soon enough, Jeff would confront his brother about it. He would, when the time was right.

**

* * *

**

"Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota..." Layla clicked her fingers, trying search her brain for the next state in the list. "Oh bugger. Little help, Adam?"

"Don't look at him, he's Canadian, he won't be any help. And did you really just say 'oh bugger'? You're so British." John laughed. "Okay, I'll give you five seconds–"

"Missouri?"

"I'm sorry, the answer we were looking for was Mississippi but we hope you enjoyed taking part in the show and we'll see you next week." John leaned over to shake Layla's hand before lying on his back and stretching out on the grass. "You got all the way to the letter M. That's not bad for a Brit. Adam can barely get past Connecticut."

"Hey, your country doesn't need fifty states. It's unnecessary."

"Y'know, the pair of you are a terrible influence. First you're making me skip classes in my first week and now casual racism? Just awful." She joked.

"It's health class! All you're missing is one of the lesbian gym teachers telling you not to have sex and then caving and deciding 'it's okay, as long as you wear a rubber'. That, and you get to look at some pretty sick pictures of genital warts and one girl will probably end up having to leave at the risk of passing out. Chances are that one girl will be one of the teachers too." Adam added with a cheeky smile.

The lunchtime sun had warmed up the corner of the playing fields where John, Layla and Adam were sat. Layla knew it was wrong to cut class but she felt like Cady in Mean Girls where Damien and Janis offer her the hand of friendship and she can't refuse. There were a couple of alright females but so far, the boys seemed much nicer than the girls so sticking with Adam and John seemed like a safe option.

"Check it out, the cheerleaders are practising outside today." Adam was practically salivating as the blonde brigade jogged onto the field in a blur of Fitzgerald blue and short skirts. "God bless those easy access cheerleading skirts."

John and Layla looked at Adam in disbelief. Well, not so much John, Adam's antics stopped shocking him a long time ago.

"What? Kelly Blank practically gave herself to me on a plate."

"Which one's Kelly?" Layla asked John.

"Top of the pyramid."

"That's not the only place she likes to be on top-"

"Dude!" John tried to hide his amusement in front of Layla but it was difficult. "She's a nice enough girl once you get to know her but she's had more backseat fucks than I've had touchdowns. And I'm the quarter back. They should've changed the name of that movie to Easy K."

"Damn, Emma Stone. I would."

"So that means Kelly isn't your girlfriend?"

"Hello no." Adam scoffed, slipping a pair of aviators over his eyes. "There's only one thing Miley Cyrus and I have in common; we can't be tamed."

Layla burst into laughter, rolling on the grass clutching her stomach. "That must be the worst line I've ever heard. Truly awful. Stick to the American football and fucking." She recovered and sat upright, looking at John. "What about you, Cena? Can you be tamed? Or are you already tamed?"

A frosty silence fell upon the trio and Maria sprung into the minds of John and Adam, both of them exchanging the same knowing look.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asked cautiously.

"No." John shook his head. "No, it's fine–"

"Are you sure?"

John looked to Adam, who shrugged in a 'what can you do?' fashion. "Something happened here not to long before you started. I'm single right now but it's kind of a long story."

"Difficult break-up?"

"Not exactly." Adam chipped in.

"I'll tell you about it another time." John told her, putting the smile back on his face. "Until then, guess what percentage of the cheerleaders Adam has slept with?"

"My favourite game." Adam rubbed his hands together greedily. "I'll give you a hint, it's over fifty."

"Give me strength." Layla sighed, regaining the comfortable atmosphere that momentarily disappeared. Something had happened with John's ex and she wanted to know what.

* * *

There were some days where learning was definitely not a priority and for Eve, that day had come. Mr Omen's geometry test was waiting for her but she just couldn't bring herself to go to math. Instead, she tucked herself away in a remote corner of the library, away from the prying eyes of the librarians, pretending to read a chemistry textbook whilst she listened to her iPod.

Skipping one test wouldn't do Eve any harm whatsoever. The brunette was one of the smartest girls in the junior class and although she hated it, she had a gift when it came to math. And English. And history and science and geography and pretty much any subject she attempted. Yes, Eve was naturally intelligent but that didn't mean she could slack. Mr and Mrs Torres wanted the best for their little girl and if her grades started to dip, those privileges she received would be taken away. An overachiever she was but the perks were an encouragement.

"Substitutes are so gullible." Eve's peace was disrupted. Looking up from her textbook, she saw Rosa had sat herself down at the desk in front of her, closely followed by Maryse. "All you have to do is say you have work to do in the library and you're out."

"What're you doing here anyway?" Maryse raised an eyebrow at Eve. "Shouldn't you be in math?"

"Didn't feel like doing Omen's test." The brunette shrugged, running a hand through her wavy hair.

"Okay, on to more important business, I need advice." Rosa announced, placing her palms on the table. "Dinner with Zack this Saturday. I'm wearing my blue halter-neck dress – the one that shows off my back. Should I wear my hair up or down?"

"Hair up, you have a great neck and should show it off." Maryse leaned over to scoop up Rosa's hair, earning her a dirty look from one of the librarians. The two girls looked over at Eve. "What do you think?"

Honestly, Eve didn't know whether Rosa had a great neck. What made a great neck? She felt slightly oblivious when it came to fashion. Obviously she liked to look nice but stuff like labels or the little details didn't really bother her. Over all, she'd rather be comfortable but she knew the importance of looking good. "Um, I've always liked your hair down." Style was Maryse and Maria's thing. In fact, the redhead always had the last say on things like what people wore.

"I'm kind of leaning towards hair down too." Rosa slowly let her hair down, looking at Eve the whole time as if waiting for her approval.

"So Eve, what're we doing this weekend?"

Eve wondered if the other two girls were aware of the strange vibe between the trio. It was clear that Maria's presence was missing amongst them. The leader of the former quartet was the decision maker and Maryse's question would previously have been aimed at her. Now they were turning to Eve. Surely that couldn't mean what she thought it did.

"Well, I'm doing to Matt's Friday night but I guess we could do something Saturday before Rosa's date?"

"We could go shopping?" Maryse suggested.

"Actually, I was thinking you guys help me plan my birthday party. It's coming up pretty soon and I need to sort out a guest list by Monday, ready to hand out invites by the end of the week." Eve didn't realise how assertive she sounded. It scared her a little which is why she followed it up with a "Is that okay?"

"Perfect." Maryse smiled sweetly as the bell rang and the girls got up to head to their classes. "Shall we say eleven o'clock at mine?"

"I'd rather it was twelve o'clock at mine." This time, it wasn't a question but an order.

Without a hint of backlash, Maryse smiled as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "Perfect."

As the three girls left the library and headed to Eve's locker, the brunette bit back a smile. When one queen passes, a new one must be crowned. Was this her time to take the throne?

* * *

You know what would be absolutely _spiffing_? (Yes, apparently I've gone all Mary Poppins...)  
If you'd check out my newest fic _Don't Look Back._ It's a multi-couples fic and I'd love for you to let me know what you think!

Anyway, this was kind of a filler chapter but I hope you enjoy all the same :) Please leave a **review**!

**NEXT TIME – **_Everyo__ne spends their weekend in very different ways._


	6. Saturday

Thank you for the reviews and here's chapter 6...

* * *

**SATURDAY**

As arranged, Maryse and Rosa had showed up at Eve's house at midday exactly and the three girls were now sat on Eve's bed, leafing through an old copy of the yearbook trying to come up with a guest list for the party.

"No, no, no, yes, no, yes, no, no, no..." Eve used a sharp pencil to cross off the faces of those she didn't want showing up and circled those she did want. "Rosa, add Layla El to the list. She's the new girl from England and she's my lab partner. Nice girl – I want her there." Rosa, who sat at the foot of the bed, scribbled Layla's name down onto a sheet of paper, whilst Eve and Maryse continued to flick through the yearbook.

"Are we inviting those three or not?" Maryse screwed up her nose at her own suggestion before taking a sip from her can of Diet Coke. Her finger was pressed against a photo of the cheerleaders and were focused on the centre three; Kelly, Tiffany and Kaitlyn.

"I don't know." Eve sighed, scraping her brown locks back into a ponytail.

"I estimate Kelly Blank will hook up – and by hook up, I mean bathroom sex – with at least three guys if you invite her. Two of those hook ups will probably be in the bathroom." Maryse commented cattily. "Chances are, Kaitlyn will be paralytic by this point so it'll be poor Tiffany that has to guard the door for Kelly."

Eve sighed again. Maryse had a point, even if she did state it rather insensitively; Kelly Blank couldn't keep her legs together even if she had a clamp, Tiffany Terrell was a pushover that did whatever her best friend told her and Kaitlyn couldn't handle her alcohol but they were actually all nice girls and Eve knew if she didn't invite them, she'd end up feeling bad about it.

"Put them down as maybes." She told Rosa decisively.

"I take it the football team are all definite?" Rosa confirmed. "That's Matt, Adam, Randy, John, Ted, Jack–" Eve shot her a look as if to say 'You listing the members of the football team is wasting my time. "–and all the others guys."

"Exactly. So what number are we up to?"

"A lot. I stopped counting so it'll be enough to fill the club your parents are hiring, for sure." The Latina's eyes widened as she flipped over the page to continue reading the list of names. "When are the invites being printed?"

This party was a lot more stressful than she'd imagined it would be. Her parents were sorting out all the finance and booking but Eve had to come up with a list of invites, sort out her outfit and finalise the little details. Balancing that along with school and her dance classes, the brunette felt slightly overwhelmed. Although she wasn't showing it, she was thankful to Rosa and Maryse for being so helpful.

"Why don't you show us your dress?" Maryse changed the subject, watching as Eve's lit up at the prospect. She went into her wardrobe and listened as the girls gasped when she pulled out a Michael Kors bag. Their jaws absolutely dropped when she went into the bag and pulled out the dress itself.

"Oh my god." The blonde of the trio gripped onto Rosa's arm, her mouth flapping as if she were gasping for breath. "It's _that_ dress."

"What dress?"

Maryse picked up the copy of _Glamour_ that sat on Eve's bedside table and rifled through until she found the page she was looking for before thrusting it in her friend's face. "It's the pink Michael Kors dress that Blake Lively wore at the 2009 CFDAs and everyone was buzzing about it because it was a risk that totally paid off! Where the hell did you get this?"

"My mom brought it back from one of her work trips." Eve had no idea the dress had celebrity status. "Will people know it's a Michael Kors dress?"

"Of course not, they don't have fashion knowledge like I do, but still, you'll be wearing a Michael Kors dress!"

"It's like a modern day fairytale. Cinderella _will_ get to go to the ball!" Rosa joked.

"Except it's the Queen Bee and she has rich parents so she'll be showing up at her birthday party in a Michael Kors dress with a footballer on her arm."

Eve wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Maryse referring to her as the 'Queen Bee'; it was a title she wasn't yet comfortable with. Sure, it sounded nice in her head but it came with baggage that she wasn't sure if she needed. For the time being, she decided to put it out of her mind as she stared at herself in the mirror, the beautiful pink dress held up against her body. She had a party to worry about and if it went badly, her Queen Bee status could be taken before it was even hers to begin with.

* * *

If there was one thing the El women loved more than anything else in the world, it was shopping.

Back in England, mother and daughter were happy to spend their weekends hitting the stores and finishing off with a coffee in Starbucks. Now they were in America, it didn't seem like much was going to change as both women were sat on the couches in the coffee shop, shopping bags around their feet.

People often commented on how Debbie El and Layla seemed more like sisters than mother and daughter. They had the kind of relationship where they could tell each other absolutely anything and the other wouldn't bat an eyelid. That relationship only got closer after Layla's parents divorced and the two spent more time together. Both were open and honest and didn't keep things from each other.

"I think the barista fancies you." Debbie subtly nodded over to the guy making coffee at the counter. "He hasn't taken his eyes off you since we arrived."

"He's not really my type." Layla wrinkled her nose. When it came to guys, she wasn't ashamed to admit she was picky and this guy was a little too skinny for her taste, not to mention he had an eyebrow piercing which was a real turn-off for her.

"Are there any boys at school you've got your eye on?"

"Don't be shy about asking." Layla replied sarcastically. "And actually, there's this one guy. Remember John Cena from Principal Winston's office?"

"He was lovely. Have you made a move yet?" Debbie smiled encouragingly, showing off a set of pearly white teeth. She was the kind of woman that took care of herself – trips to the gym, a good skincare routine, regular manicures, pedicures and haircuts – and Layla liked to think she picked up some good beauty tips off her fifty year old mother – not that she looked it, most people thought she was over ten years younger.

"Believe me, I want to, and I think he feels some chemistry between us too. I think he had a bad past relationship or something though and I'm not sure he's looking to date because of it."

"It's always the best that get their hearts broken." She commented wisely, taking a sip of her latte. "Has he said anything to you?"

"Not exactly...he's very vague about the whole thing. He just says it's complicated and obviously I don't want to push him to talk about whoever she is." Layla drank from her own mug. "Or should I be more forward?"

"Definitely not. Like I said, you don't want to scare him away. Just give him little hints that you're interested and leave the ball in his court. But from what I remember, he seemed interested. I saw the way he looked at you when he first walked into the principal's office that morning and why wouldn't he want to go out with you? You're a stunning girl."

Layla blew her mother a kiss across the table. "Where would I be without you?"

"Back in England with your father and that man-trap he shacked up with and their evil spawn." Debbie semi-joked, the scars of her divorce still fresh even two years on. "Apparently your father paid for a pair of new boobs for her. Preposterous."

"She doesn't need them anyway. I thought her giant jugs were one of the reasons he cleared off..."

Another thing the El women loved; gossip.

* * *

One of the largest houses in town belonged to the Terrell family, thanks to Mr and Mrs Terrell being renowned architects across New England. The house was comprised of three floors of spacious rooms and modern design and looked like something out of a magazine. For that night whilst her parents were away, it was Tiffany's party house.

As soon as John, Adam and their fellow footballer Randy entered the Terrell house, they were greeted by cheers and pumping music. A drunken Kaitlyn wasted no time in brushing herself up against Adam, her hands playing with the collar of his plaid shirt as she giggled into his ear. Winking at his friends, the playboy took Kaitlyn's hand and John and Randy watched with grins as he led her upstairs to what they assumed would be one of the bedrooms.

"Seriously? He was literally here for like, ten seconds. That's got to be a new record." Randy said in disbelief. Not that Mr Orton didn't get his fair share of female attention although he didn't seem to be aware of the many longing looks thrown his way by the females in the entrance hallway.

"Maybe you should be on the lookout for Alicia Fox." John added casually, grabbing himself a beer from the kitchen. "Last I heard she was interested in you..."

Randy shrugged. "She's not really my type."

"Sexy cheerleader isn't your type? There are probably some ugly chicks that would be interested in you too."

Across the room, John saw one of his fellow footballers, Matt Hardy, talking to a group of their fellow students. When Matt noticed John and Randy, he approached them. Just as he came over, Randy said something about needing to use the bathroom and disappeared into the next room. "When did you get here?" Matt asked.

"Just now. Adam's already upstairs getting some sweet drunken lovin' from Kaitlyn." John sipped his beer and realised that Matt's girlfriend was noticeably absent. "Where's Eve?"

"She said she might come along later; apparently she's been party-planning all day with Rosa and Maryse and it might go on late." Matt didn't seem too concerned about the whole thing; he decided it was best left to his girlfriend. "I just told her I'd be here until ten-ish and if she didn't show up by then, I'd leave–"

"Well, that was a waste of time." Only a couple of minutes after disappearing upstairs, Adam was back again. "We literally reached the top of the stairs and then she had to run to the bathroom. I bumped into Tiff and she said Kaitlyn's been on the shots since lunchtime."

"If it's taken her–" John looked down at the watch on his wrist "–nine hours to throw up, her liver's stronger than we thought."

"Oh, she's been doing shots since lunchtime but that also means this is the fifth time she's puked today. I dunno how much the Terrell family's pricey vases are gonna be if they have lipgloss around the rim and smell of Jägerbombs." Adam fist bumped both guys but Matt made a quick exit, receiving a call from Eve on his cell phone. "So where's the lovely Layla tonight?"

"She doesn't really know Tiff and didn't want to just show up. Plus, she's got some work to catch up on because she's new."

"Layla is so hot. Like, super ridiculously banging. If she weren't yours, I'd be down those British pants by now." Adam paused. "And my pants, I mean underwear. That's what they call them in England. Pants. Isn't that weird?"

John rolled his eyes. "I know. And she's not _mine._"

"Seriously, you're gonna deny it? I've seen the way you guys are together; there's _chemistry_. Something's going to happen between the two of you eventually." Adam and John were like brothers and they could be totally honest with each other. "Come on, man, there's a definite vibe between you two and you shouldn't cheat yourself out of what's happening." The two guys made their way onto the quiet of the front porch as the middle of Tiffany's crowded kitchen was no longer ideal. "I'm not speaking as Adam the ladies man but as Adam your best friend. You shouldn't let Maria hold you back."

It wasn't meant to sound so harsh but John knew exactly what Adam meant. "Don't you think it's too soon?"

"Maybe the timing isn't the best but it's just coincidence that Layla showed up a month after Maria died. What if Layla had showed up in a year's time? You'd be making the same excuses – it's just because she's the first girl _since_ the accident. Think about this; you leave Layla for a little while, leave it for another two or three months, let's say. What if she gets together with a different guy? And hey, she's a hot piece of English muffin, it may well happen. Anyway, do you want that?"

"No, I don't." John muttered.

"I'm sorry, what don't you want?"

"I don't want Layla seeing other guys."

"Damn, I'm good. Move over, Oprah." Adam was strangely proud of himself but he quickly softened his tone. "Maria would want you to be happy, even if that meant being with someone else. If the roles were reversed, you would want her to move on with her life. Maria's accident just proves that life's too short for us to wait until the right moment because the right moment may never come. Let Layla know how you feel because I'll be damned if she doesn't feel the same."

No words were needed. John simply shook his head in disbelief at Adam, as if to say 'Where the hell did all that come from?'

"Hey, the package may be pretty but there's hidden depth underneath." The blonde of the two slapped his friend across the back in a friendly manner. "Right, I'm gonna go scout out where all the hotties are hiding. And I'll be doing some hiding of my own from Kaitlyn."

Once his friend was gone, John dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his cell phone, going straight to 'L' in his phonebook. It rang three times before Layla answered with a simple "_Hello?_"

"Hey, it's John. What's up?" He sat down on the porch, his elbows rested against his knees and a smile on his face.

"_The ceiling._" She joked, bringing out a laugh in him. "_I can tell you what's not going to be up come Monday; my grade for this history essay. It's possibly the worst thing I've ever written." _

"The New Deal?"

"_America's role in World War Two. I've got to tell you, you guys were lazy compared to us Brits." _She turned down the volume on her radio and he thought he heard the sound of a mattress sinking, her sitting down on her bed. "_Aren't you at Tiffany's party? It can't be that good if you're calling me." _

"I've gotta be honest, I'm a little bored. Are you sure you can't come out?"

"_I dunno John, this paper's a killer–"_

"It's nine thirty on a Saturday, you can't honestly tell me it can't wait until tomorrow! Come on, come out for a couple of hours! Hell, I'll pick you up and drop you home, being the gentleman I am. Just come out."

There was a brief silence at the other end of the phone before Layla eventually said "_I'll text you my address." _

"I'll be there in twenty."

* * *

As usual, hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review** :) xx

**NEXT TIME – **_There's tension between Layla and Mickie and Jeff makes a second attempt at talking to Matt _


	7. To Reveal Or Not To Reveal

Thank you for all the reviews so far. Here's chapter 7...

* * *

**TO REVEAL OR NOT TO REVEAL**

"Outta my way, important business to take care of!"

Eve pushed her way through the bustle of students in the busy hallway, stopping only to smile sweetly and hand out invitations to those invited to her party. There were four main hallways in the school and she, Rosa and Maryse had three of them covered. She'd even roped in her new lab partner Layla to hand out invites on the forth one; the more hands that were helping, the quicker they'd be done.

"Hope you can come!" She said to everyone. Of course people would come; Eve was the new Queen Bee at Fitzwinter and there was a lot of hype surrounding her party. It had to deliver; failure was not an option.

Back when Maria was Queen Bee, it had never really occurred to Eve how much work seemed to be involved; how one tiny slip could ruin your social standing. Although Eve never really spoke to her about it, Maria just appeared to take the whole process in her stride and all she had to do was smile and click her fingers at people. Eve didn't know how she did it but she had a newfound respect for her best friend.

Well, former best friend.

"Hey Randy!" Upon seeing one of the members of the football team emptying books into his locker, Eve jogged over as fast as her wedges would carry her. "Here, it's an invitation to my party. I hope you can make it."

He gave the invite a quick once over before slipping it in his locker. "Thanks."

Everyone else responded with hugs and 'Oh my God, it's going to be awesome!' so his lack of enthusiasm worried her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm just...tired." It was clearly a lie but Eve decided not to pry too much. He forced a smile onto his face before saying "Hey, you must be stoked about your party – it's pretty soon."

"If everything goes to plan, it should be the best night ever. I just wish I could get a little more enthusiasm out of Matt."

"Oh yeah?" Randy's ears seemed to prick up.

"Obviously he's my date and all I want is for him to be a little more onboard. It's like recently, he's constantly got something else on his mind."

Randy knew exactly what that something was. The day of Maria's death, he had left the bag with his football uniform in inside the gym locker room. Just as one of Fitzwinter's football stars was about to exit the locker room with his bag in hand, he saw two figures inside the gym through the glass window on the door; Maria and Matt. He thought nothing of it until a kiss between the pair confirmed the unthinkable.

It was bad enough that Matt was cheating on Eve and Maria on John but the fact that Maria died on the very same day Randy caught them made it very difficult for him to come forward and tell his friends the truth. Through football, John had become like a brother to him and Eve was one of the sweetest, most genuine girls he'd ever met. The pair of them had been through enough and to add to it, no-one would gain anything from Maria's reputation getting ruined.

The whole thing had been eating at Randy ever since he found out and anytime he was around Matt, he just wanted to hit him for being so stupid. Anytime he was around Eve, he wanted to let her know how much better she could do.

"Have you noticed anything different about Matt? He hasn't said anything to me but I wondered if maybe he'd said something to you guys that he doesn't feel he can tell me?"

Randy slammed his locker shut, making Eve jump. "Whatever it is, maybe he doesn't want it to come out."

Eve raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you know, Orton?"

Randy thanked God as the bell rang and everyone began to make their way to class. "Uh, I'll catch up with you later, Eve." As he rushed off into one of the biology labs – suspicious, considering they were in the same class – Eve pursed her lips together thoughtfully. Randy Orton knew something and she wanted to know what it was. Unfortunately, that was put to the back of her mind as she got a text from Rosa.

O_ut of invites and I haven't started on the lacrosse girls. Invites needed ASAP or Beth's going to punch my teeth down my throat :S_

'Eve the girlfriend' was going to find out what was going on with Randy and Matt but her main priority was the party being a success and that included 'Eve the Queen Bee' saving Rosa from one of Beth Phoenix's knuckle sandwiches.

* * *

Knowing there were only a couple of minutes left of her chemistry class, Mickie found it difficult not to let her gaze drift over to the window and out onto the track field. A freshman group were stood outside and by the looks of the things, gym teacher Ms Boyce had stopped caring about her class as she was nowhere to be seen. A couple of boys ran anyway, desperate to beat each other in impromptu races whilst a few girls were scattered on the bleachers, gossiping as they hunched over their cell phones.

Mickie allowed a small smile to cross her lips; she remembered those days. Freshman year, when everything seemed so easy and simple. Back then, it was her, Melina Perez, Candice Beckman and Ashley Massaro; the fearless foursome. The quartet went everywhere together and did everything together. They were inseparable. Everyone assumed that because they were a four, there were best friend divides between them but that wasn't the case; they were all equally close and didn't do anything without the other three present.

Times changed though and the only one that Mickie had stayed close with was Melina. Candice had left Fitzwinter halfway through sophomore year when her parents moved their catering company out to San Francisco. At first, they called and emailed all the time after she left but soon enough, the phone calls became less and less regular and each time they spoke, all Candice spoke about were her new friends Torrie and Victoria and how much she loved California. Needless to say that as time moved on, the phone calls and emails stopped.

Then there was Ashley. After it was clear Candice was no longer a member of the group, the girls' perfect friendship seemed to crumble. The blonde in the group stopped being the sweet-natured girl they once knew and she rebelled; staying out late with the older kids, drinking, smoking, not doing her school work and dressing provocatively. She wasn't the girl that Melina and Mickie loved and much of the time the trio spent together resulted in arguments. Eventually, Ashley's parents saw the change in their daughter and quietly sent her off to an all-girls school in Utah, leaving things on a sour note with her two best friends.

In some ways, it wasn't all bad. The problems Mickie and Melina had experienced with the other two girls had just shown that they could rely on each other above all else and that their friendship would survive no matter who came and went. For a little while, it even toughened Mickie up, showing her that sometimes stuff happened that didn't turn out the way that you wanted it to.

Despite the events that followed, Mickie would have given anything to return to the simpler days of freshman year.

"Miss James, if you want to stay and help clear up the beakers from today's experiment, you just have to ask." Looking up, the brunette realised that at some point during her daydreaming, Dr Clement had dismissed the class and everyone else had left.

"Sorry, I was in a world of my own." She gathered up her textbook and stationary, to which the teacher just smiled before leaving the room, muttering something about his lunch break.

A couple of seconds later as Mickie was heading for the door herself, there was a knock and she was greeted by John Cena.

"Hey." The captain of the football team greeted Mickie with his signature genuine smile. "Is Dr Clement around? He said if I swung by at lunch, he'd have my test from last week graded."

"He just went to the teachers' lounge. I think he said something about a turkey sandwich and a packet of Cheetos?"

John chuckled, giving the teacher's desk a quick onceover for his test paper. "Yeah, that sounds like Clement." Silence surrounded the two before he continued. "So, how've you been? I haven't talked to you since the funeral."

All it took was a quick mention of the funeral and thoughts of Maria flooded back into Mickie's head. "I've been better." She shrugged. "What about you?"

"I'm okay actually. I dunno about you but for me, it gets a little easier every day."

Not for Mickie; that aching hole in her heart just remained. "Yeah, totally."

Leaning back against Dr Clement's desk, John told her "If you ever wanted to talk...you know, about Maria, that's fine. I don't know what you're feeling, Mickie, but I'm here for you–"

Their conversation was cut off by the door opening and Layla sticking her head inside, a cheeky smile on her face. "How long does it take to get a test marked?" She joked, coming inside when she saw the teacher wasn't around.

"Clement isn't in here." John replied. "Micks, have you met Layla El? She joined last week. Layla, this is my friend, Mickie James."

"Pleased to meet you." The Brit smiled enthusiastically.

Mickie wasn't sure if she was just misinterpreting the situation but something told her there was more than friendship between John and Layla and she didn't like it. Who did this new girl think she was, coming into their school and making a move on him so soon after Maria? Did she have no class? And what was John doing with her anyway?

Not receiving a response from Mickie, Layla's cheeks reddened so she turned to her male friend. "I said I'd help Eve hand out invites to her party so you can go to lunch without me."

"You were helping her all morning."

"Apparently she ran out of invites and then Rosa started saying something to me about needing facial reconstruction surgery...I don't know, I'm a little confused by the whole thing."

"Well, where are you meeting them?"

"Courtyard."

"I'll walk you." John and Layla both smiled at Mickie, shooting her a nod before they disappeared out of the classroom, leaving the brunette alone once again.

* * *

Jeff knew he had to confront Matt about Maria and he couldn't wait any longer to do so. His original plan to pounce on his brother as soon as they got in from school was flawed as Matt had football training until six and then called home to say he wouldn't be back for dinner because he was eating at Eve's.

After spending the night listening out for the front door, the sound of Matt's key turning in the lock alerted Jeff at midnight – half an hour after his parents told him to be home, despite the fact Mr and Mrs Hardy had gone to bed an hour earlier. Before heading up to his bedroom, Matt grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and dropped a ten dollar bill on the kitchen table – some cash he owed his dad.

When he went back into the hallway, he jumped upon seeing his brother stood at the top of the stairs. "You scared the crap outta me." He laughed, ascending the stairs. "I thought you'd be asleep."

"I needed to talk to you so I waited up." The younger Hardy was straight-faced.

"That doesn't sound good. Come in, don't wanna wake up Mom and Dad."

The brothers went into Matt's bedroom. He flicked the lights on and closed the curtains whilst Jeff pulled the door behind him, leaning back against it. Matt turned the radio onto a low volume and sat down on his bed before asking his brother "So what's up?"

To the surprise of many people, the Hardy boys were close. Their differing interests and opposite social circles often made others assume they didn't see eye to eye but growing up, they'd looked out for each other and that bond was strong even throughout adolescence.

Ever since Jeff discovered the truth about his brother, however, the admiration he once had for him was sinking. "I know, Matt."

"Know what?" The older brother took his cell phone out of his jean pocket and started texting.

"I _know_."

"Okay, well I _don't_ know what you're talking about."

Jeff stayed static in the doorway. "I know that you slept with Maria."

It was impossible to tell how Matt felt when Jeff said that because he expressed no emotion, keeping his eyes fixed on his cell phone. When he finally looked up, he shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah you do."

"And how do you know this? Do you have some sort of incriminating evidence against me? There is none."

"The pair of underwear belonging to Maria in that drawer over there." Jeff pointed over at the chest of drawers where he'd first found the evidence. "And don't try and pass then off as Eve's because I know they're Maria's."

That caught Matt off-guard. There was nothing he could say that would defend his actions. The look on his little brother's face was the reason he and Maria had kept their rendezvous a secret; the disapproval, the utter disgust, the way no-one seemed to understand.

"Come on then. What've you got to say for yourself? How're you gonna explain the fact you cheated on Eve?"

"Firstly, maybe you wanna keep your voice down?" Matt hissed threateningly, squaring up to his little brother. There was only a year between them and although they were exactly the same height, Matt knew he was stronger and he thought he could take Jeff if it came to blows. "Secondly? Get off your moral high horse, you've never even had a girlfriend–"

Jeff chuckled softly, knowing it wouldn't have been long until that came up. "Maybe but that's probably better than having two at once and being shady about it–"

"I was 'shady about it' because I love Eve and I didn't want her to get hurt."

"If you really loved her and you didn't want her to get hurt, you wouldn't have fooled around with Maria."

"So this is about Maria? Of course. You've always had a little crush on Maria and you've annoyed because something happened between me and her."

"This isn't about me, this is about you cheating on your girlfriend with her best friend, who happens to be dead now." Jeff fought back, the mention of Maria's death stinging both Hardy brothers. "Was it a one-time thing with Maria or was it more?" A lack of response from Matt gave Jeff his answer. "Oh my God, you have to tell Eve."

"No Jeff, I don't. You may be the 'smart Hardy' but you've got _so_ much to learn. You've never been in a serious relationship so you don't understand the problems that occur and the sacrifices you have to make. You don't get that sometimes, problems occur and you have to bend the truth to protect people–"

"You don't have to have been in a relationship to know that cheating is wrong! You honestly think you can keep this from Eve?"

"I honestly plan to."

"Sorry bro but I just can't let you do that. Eve needs to know–"

Matt's anger overtook every other emotion in his body and he grabbed his brother by the collar, the most conflict that had ever surfaced between the two in years. "Why the hell are you getting involved?"

"Because it's not fair on Eve!" Jeff shoved his brother off, surprising his brother with his strength as Matt stumbled back onto his bed. "What if the roles were reversed and Eve had slept with Cena? You'd want to know, right?"

"That's different, you're my brother and you're meant to be on my side."

"I'm always on your side, Matt, but you've screwed up and it's been a secret for long enough. If you don't tell Eve, I will."

"You're shitting me, right?" When Jeff's expression didn't changed, Matt scowled. "You're a dickhead, you know that right?"

"Just tell Eve the truth." Jeff didn't say anything else, instead he left Matt's room and went into his own bedroom, leaving his older brother furious that his secret had come out. Matt told himself his brother was too much of a wimp to actually go through with what he said but the look in his brother's eyes told him something was different this time around.

* * *

Please leave a **review** :) xx

**NEXT TIME – **_A nightmare shakes Mickie to her core and Eve's party is on everyone's lips. _


	8. What Dreams Are Made Of

Bonjourno ;) Hope you're all doing well and thanks for all the reviews so far.  
This update's kind of a filler...just wanted to get one in before all the dramaaaaa begins.  
Enjoy!

* * *

**WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF**

_All she saw was darkness. Everything was so loud – so painfully loud. It was as if her hearing had been heightened to its peak and every sound was positively deafening because she couldn't see anything. The EMTs around her sounded like they were screaming and the whispers of the onlookers were shouts to her sensitive ears. The sirens of the ambulance were excruciating and Mickie could hear her heart beating in her ears, the thumping running through her head. _

"_Help me." She tried to scream but her voice was a whisper, completely unacknowledged by the medics nearby. They were attending to someone else, all their attention huddled to the brunette's left. _

"_There's no hope, they've both gone." One of the paramedics announced to the crowd, who began crying, their sobs amplified. _

"_I'm still here." Mickie whimpered, tears falling from her closed eyelids – they wouldn't open, no matter how hard she tried. She attempted to sit up but her whole body ached; her legs were numb, her ribs bruised and arms weakened. "Please help me." _

_At that point, Mickie's eyes opened to a haze of blue flashing lights and neon jackets against the black night sky. Her head fell down to the left and she saw Maria lying close to her, their shoulders practically brushing; her red locks sprawled across the floor below them like a blanket. Her face was gaunt but her green eyes were staring right at Mickie, completely hypnotic even in their dead state. _

"_We'd better take them to the morgue." One of the workers said morbidly. _

"_The morgue?" She whimpered once more, watching as the EMTs walked towards her holding a lone black body bag. "No, please don't do this." Her screams were completely drowned out as her body was piled into the bag along with Maria's, her frame bumping against the cold limbs of her lifeless sister. "Please help me, I'm still here!_ _Help me! Please, help me! No, no, no..." _

"Mickie, sweetie, wake up, Mickie!"

As she awoke, a feeling of relief flooded over Mickie as she realised what just transpired was only a dream and that she was in fact in her bed in the semi-dark of her bedroom with Janet sat at the end of her bed, concern covering her step-mother's face.

"What happened?" The teenager asked. She'd never had a dream like this before; it felt so horribly real. Her body was cold apart from her face, which was red and flushed and she was shivering, shaken by what had transpired.

"You were screaming the house down. What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" Janet asked, stroking the brunette's damp forward and pushing the tendrils of hair off her face.

"Yeah, a bad dream." She took a sip of the glass of water Janet had brought in for her, still not quite sure of what happened. "It was just a dream."

"Are you going to be able to get back to sleep?"

Mickie looked over at the clock on her bedside table; it was only two am and she didn't have to get up for school for at least another five hours. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for the water."

"That's okay, dear. Just try to get back to sleep. You don't want to be tired at school." Janet gave her cold hand a quick squeeze before disappearing back into the hallway and shutting the door behind her.

After taking a final sip of water, Mickie settled back down into bed and attempted to even out her breathing which had gone completely erratic. She tried to divert her mind away from what had happened but unfortunately it just kept returning to the image of Maria, those dead eyes staring at her.

Needless to say that Mickie lay wide awake in her bed until morning came and it was only when her alarm sounded that she realised that she hadn't got a wink of sleep.

* * *

_No, no, please tell me I didn't forget it! _Layla mentally scolded herself, as she stood at her locker, rifling through her school bag in search of the history paper that she promised Mrs Jackson would be in that afternoon. How could she have forgotten it? She'd spent the whole of the previous night slaving over it and then that morning, she'd got her mother to proof-read it at breakfast just for extra clarity and then...

Then she'd left it on the kitchen table.

"Bugger." She muttered, zipping up her bag and sighing deeply, wondering if anything else could go wrong that day. Being new, there was so much to catch up on and such little time to do it in – it didn't help that the curriculum in America was different to the one in England. There were tests to be done and papers to complete and the Brit wasn't sure how she was going to make it through the year without suffering some sort of meltdown. She was going to need a lot of coffee–

"You're stressed." No longer alone, she was joined at her locker by John, who stood next to her with a large handsome grin on his face. "I can tell. What's up?"

"Oh, just the fact that Jackson's probably going to skin me alive because I forgot the paper I told her I'd give her today. All this catch-up work is taking over my life – I'm not going to have any sort of social life until I'm about twenty five." She commented breezily as she slammed her locker shut. "You probably think I'm being dramatic. I'm not."

"Hey, I never disagreed with you. Fitzwinter doesn't have that long-ass waiting list for nothing; they work us like dogs. Just don't let it get on top of you. And a little tip? I had Jackson for history sophomore year; she usually won't get angry over one late paper, she'll just tell you to give it in ASAP. Most teachers are pretty understanding and as long as you're honest with them that you're playing catch-up, they might ease up a little."

"Thank you." Layla softened, walking down the halls with John as the pair entered the small outdoor courtyard and sat down on one of the benches. "Anyway, how are things with you? Anything exciting coming up?"

"Eve's party, of course." He threw his hands up in the air. It was the most obvious thing in the world; it was all everyone at school was talking about. "I'm gonna assume that you're invited, considering you're on the invitation committee..."

"There's no official committee – just a group of _lucky_ ladies. And as long as my workload doesn't increase dramatically, yes, I will be attending. Any particular reason you're asking?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

For a while, Layla had been waiting for John to ask her out but she didn't think he'd actually do anything about it – she'd not yet asked about this previous girlfriend of his, instead doing as her mother told her and simply been there for him as a friend. What she didn't realise was that John had in fact been waiting for the right moment to ask Layla out, the right moment being whenever the words managed to come out of his mouth or when his stomach didn't cripple itself with guilt. Eve's birthday party seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"As a date?" She bit down on her lip coyly, not wanting her smile to scare him away.

"Yeah, as a date."

"I'd really like that."

"Cool. Listen, I've gotta run but I'll catch up with you later, yeah?" He shot her one more dazzling smile before he disappeared back into the school hallways and in amongst the throng of Fitzwinter students.

As soon as he was gone, Layla was quick to grab her cell phone from the front pocket of her bag and send a text straight to her mother. '_J asked me to Eve's party! Happy, happy, happy! Xx' _The beauty was positively buzzing at the thought of her date with John; her stomach was fluttering with butterflies, the kind that appeared at the beginning of a relationship when everything was new and exciting – she hadn't had this since her last boyfriend back in England it was so good to have that feeling back again.

Speaking of buzzing, her cell phone started vibrating almost instantly after she sent her mother the message; Debbie El's Blackberry was attached to her at all times for work purposes but she was always quick to respond to her daughter. Reading Debbie's message, a smile once again appeared on Layla's face. _'Happy for u, honey! I know you'll knock him dead – a shopping trip is needed! Xx' _

* * *

"That was wonderful." With a hunger-satisfied sigh, Eve finished off her plate of stuffed chicken breast and vegetables and shot her boyfriend's mother an appreciative smile. "Honestly Elizabeth, you're the best chef I know. If you opened a restaurant, I don't think I'd eat anywhere else." As Matt's mom picked up the empty plates from the table and began carrying them out to the kitchen, the guest followed her lead.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, sweetie." Elizabeth told Eve, the two females piling the dishes into the sink. "Believe me, none of the males in this house make the effort."

"Even more reason for me to do so." Everytime Elizabeth told Matt that Eve was invited over for dinner, he never understood why his girlfriend was so enthusiastic to come.

Her own home life wasn't quite as traditional as Matt's. Yes, her parents were together and she had a younger brother Phillip but it never felt like they were a real family. Her parents often travelled to New York City or to their hometown of Denver, Colorado on business and would sometimes be gone for up to a week. When they were kids, Eve and Phillip had a full time nanny but as soon as big sister was old enough to man the house on her own, the nanny was sent away and Eve was in charge of her brother if her parents weren't in the house. They had a cleaner but Eve did most of the cooking, not that Martha Stewart had any competition; she knew she'd feel guilty though, if she fed her brother Chinese takeout every night.

It wasn't that their parents didn't care, it was more that they were trying to provide the best possible life with everything paid for and their jobs certainly took care of that. She couldn't really complain; her parents were funding her whole birthday party without complaint and Eve appreciated all the material things they got her but when she was at Matt's house and saw the simplicity his family had – the way they ate dinner together every night and how...normal they were – it sometimes made her reconsider the lifestyle she had led for so long.

"Ready for dessert?" The teenager's thoughts were broken by Elizabeth putting a baked Alaska onto a plate with a smile.

She was such a domestic goddess, Eve thought to herself with a smile. "Oh God, do I really have any more room in my stomach? I don't know but I'm sure the guys will."

"I think Malcolm's gone upstairs to mark papers for one of his classes tomorrow. I'll go check on him and then get the dessert ready." Eve smiled. In all her years of dated Matt, she couldn't remember one occasion where Mr Hardy had stayed the whole meal without disappearing up to his study. He was a perfectly nice man, just not the most social of people.

Elizabeth went up the stairs and Eve was left stood alone in the kitchen. She peaked her head around the kitchen door and looked into the living room/dining room where Matt and Jeff were now stood over by the television, the older of the two checking the football scores. Jeff had no interest in football, Eve knew that, but it appeared he was trying to tell his brother something that Matt didn't seem to be listening to.

"Are you gonna talk to her tonight?" Jeff's voice was lowered but not enough so that Eve couldn't hear them; clearly he didn't want her to hear what they were saying.

"Are _you_ still talking about this? Come on, it's time to drop it."

"The longer you keep this a secret, the more painful it's going to be when the truth comes out. If you care about Eve, you'll tell her the truth."

Matt sighed, glancing up at his younger brother. "Keep your voice down, she might hear you. And by the way, you're a pain in the ass, you know that?

"I'm your little brother, aren't I?" There was a hint of a smirk on both boys' faces at Jeff's remark but the tension was still there between them. "I'm not suggesting you announce it at the dinner table, but–"

"And they say girls are the gossipers!" Eve secretly cursed Elizabeth for re-entering the kitchen at that moment but she forced a smile for her boyfriend's mother. "What're they talking about?"

"Oh, I don't know, they're being secretive. I tried eavesdropping but..." Her voice trailed off and a guilty smile sat on her lips. "This looks great, Liz. Why don't we take it in to the boys?"

The two women carried in the dessert and all the cutlery that went with it to finish off their meal. The foursome chatted pleasantly but the topic of discussion wasn't quite what Eve wanted to be talking about. Everytime she looked over at her boyfriend, he smiled back at her as if nothing was wrong and it bothered Eve.

Her worst suspicions were confirmed; her boyfriend was lying to her but she was completely clueless as to what it could be about.

* * *

Please **review** :)

**NEXT TIME – **_Eve takes a long overdue trip, Mickie's issues only worsen and John opens up to Layla. _


	9. Reflection

So apparently when I say I'm barely going to update, I get loads of writing done? Haha.  
Anyway, sorry it's short - the next chapter is going to be packed with drama - but here it is :)

* * *

**REFLECTION**

The first thing Eve noticed as she approached the cemetery was how beautiful a day it was. It wasn't warm but the sun was shining and the skies were blue and she could see Maria on a day like this, oversized sunglasses covering her eyes and the windows open in her car as she sang along to the radio.

It was difficult for her not to think of her best friend, although she didn't always show it. Maria was there, no matter what she did. Horrible clichés aside, when the wind blew, Eve could hear her friend laughing and every part of her bedroom had some connection to the redhead. Sometimes the memories were nice but other times, it just hurt to know what she'd lost so suddenly.

Pushing open the large black iron gates, she stepped inside, trying not to think negatively as she pulled her jacket tighter around her, a chilling breeze sailing through the air. She came straight from school and although she hardly expected it to be full of people, the emptiness of the graveyard was eerie. Instead of letting herself get affected, she walked straight over to the grave she was looking for, placed on the side of one of the stony paths, directly in the sunlight.

Since the funeral, this was the first time Eve had visited Maria's grave. To say she'd been avoiding this visit was an understatement but it was even more so to say it was overdue.

Not a lot had changed in the couple of weeks since she'd last been there. Healthy bunches of flowers still surrounded the grey stone – the amount there were, a stranger would think it were a princess buried there. That didn't take away from the fact it was her best friend underground, lifeless after a tragic accident claimed her life.

'_Maria Kanellis,  
Daughter, Granddaughter, Friend to everyone.'_

Nervously, Eve crouched down in front of the headstone and placed the bouquet of yellow carnations to the side of it.

"Hey Ria. I don't know where you are or if you can hear me but I really hope you can." She giggled, the wind blowing through her hair forcing her to get a hair band out of her pocket and tie up her curly locks. "I'm sorry I haven't come to visit in a while but I'm here now. I've missed you a lot. "

At first, it seemed utterly ridiculous for her to be talking to a grave but no-one else is around and as soon as the words were out of her mouth, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

"It's my birthday tomorrow – seventeen years old. I know I should be excited about the presents and the party but this year...it just doesn't feel right. I miss you. I miss you a lot. You should be here to celebrate with me. We should be going shopping for dresses and getting all pumped up together and yeah, I'll still go out and have fun and it won't be the same without you.

"There's so much I want to talk to you about – Matt's been acting really weirdly recently – but I can't. And that hurts so bad. Like I said, I don't know if you're getting any of this – it shouldn't matter because I hope you knew this while you were still here – but most of all, I just want you to know that you were the best friend I ever had and you always will be. Rosa and Maryse are great but...me and you, I could trust you with anything."

At the sound of the gates creaking open, Eve's head snapped around to see a couple entering the cemetery and heading over to one of the stones in the far corner of the courtyard. No longer alone, she bit down on her lip and wiped at her watering eyes before getting to her feet and walking away.

Once inside her car, she didn't even have time to think about what had just happened as her cell phone started ringing. "Hello?" She answered, surprised by the lump in her throat.

"_Where are you? You said you were coming to my house after school – Rosa and I are waiting._" Maryse's irritated tone pierced at Eve's ear, the brunette putting the phone down on the dashboard and turning it on to speaker as she started up her car.

"Sorry, there was something I had to do. I'm on my way."

She hung up and continued driving to Maryse's house ten minutes away. It was just as she pulled up outside the Ouellet residence that what just occurred really hit her out of nowhere and she was forced to remain in her car for a few extra minutes, letting the tears fall from her eyes.

* * *

Sitting bolt upright after her afternoon nap was disrupted by yet another nightmare, Mickie felt sick. She walked over to the mirror and decided this was possibly the worst she'd ever looked. Not a lot had changed since the past couple of occasions; her face was red and flushed despite the fact she was shivering. Clearly she'd been tossing and turning as her hair had slipped out of the bun she'd fallen asleep with it in.

Large dark circles shadowed under her eyes; the past couple of nights, she hadn't slept well at all. She'd sleep for about two hours before a nightmare would shake her back into consciousness. After that, it would be impossible for her to fall back to sleep and would leave her no choice but to lie awake until morning, waiting for the light to stream through her curtains.

Some nights, she tried to be productive with her time. One night, she managed to get an entire book report done, as well as her algebra homework. Another, she got some internet shopping done on her laptop and ordered both Melina's birthday present and her father's, despite the fact Richard James wasn't turning fifty for another four months. That's why she'd resorted to attempting naps after school. Getting to sleep wasn't a problem; it was after she woke up and couldn't get her brain to settle down again.

Why were these nightmares only occurring now? It had been weeks, months, since Maria's death and it was only now that it was coming back to haunt her? It scared Mickie and she hated how it had taken over her life; how it seemed impossible for her to focus on anything other than her dreams. Soon enough, she was certain it would start to get in the way of her school work and she couldn't let that happen.

"We thought we heard you moving around in here." Her bedroom door opened and Janet and Richard entered. Sympathetic smiles sat on their faces as her step-mother took a seat on her bed and her father stayed in the doorway cautiously. "Did you get much sleep?" Janet asked.

"A little."

"Listen honey, we need to talk about this...what's been going on with you." Her step-mother continued. Her father's presence meant this was a talk they'd been planning together, only Richard wasn't big on emotional talks so he left those to his wife. "I don't know _all_ the details but I know something's wrong and your father and I just want to help."

"How do you plan on doing that?" The brunette said with a small laugh.

"We think you should talk to someone. A professional that knows how to deal with...what's been going on with you." Janet kept saying that phrase, as if saying aloud what was really going on was taboo. "Your father and I think it would be for the best – we have the number of Dr Whitehouse and she's said she's happy to talk to you."

The look of disbelief remained on Mickie's face. "You...you want to send me to a psychiatrist?"

"Start with one session, just to see if it helps. It might be therapeutic for you to talk to someone that understands what you're going through."

"So Dr Whitehouse's sister died next to her in a car crash? Well, we _will_ have plenty to chit-chat about..."

"There's no need to be sarcastic, Mickie. We're just trying to help." Her father piped up, scolding his daughter for her tone. "We just want what's best for you–"

"You keep saying that, but sending me to therapy? Isn't that a little extreme?"

"It's for the best–"

"There it is again!" She threw her hands in the air. "You keep telling me what's best for me and that you're just trying to help. You know what would be best for me? If Maria was still alive but hey, I guess counselling is the next best thing, right?" Not wanting to talk to her parents anymore, the brunette grabbed her coat off the back of her door and found her car keys on her desk.

"What are you doing?" Janet and Richard followed her down the stairs and over to the front door.

"I'm going out."

"Where?"

"I don't know, I just need some space. I might go to Melina's or something...I just don't know." Mickie closed the door behind her and got into her and started driving, unsure of where she was going or who she was going to see. All she knew was she didn't want to be at home right now.

* * *

"So if you think about it, Capote's motives were pretty questionable when it comes to _In Cold Blood_. He didn't even go to Perry's execution despite the fact they build up a–"

"Can I ask you something?" As much as Layla enjoyed John helping her catch up on her English work, this wasn't what she had on her mind. There was something else irritating her, something that had been on her mind for a long time and she wasn't sure how much longer she wanted to go on being kept in the dark.

"Sure. I've got a bunch of notes on Nancy Clutter and–"

"This isn't about the book."

"Oh, right." He looked up from the library copy of _In Cold Blood_ he was flicking through and glanced up at Layla, who was sat on the edge of her bed. He'd been sat on her windowsill but he moved onto the desk chair so he was opposite her. "So...what's going on?"

Layla wasn't sure how she was meant to phrase herself so she just decided to say how she felt. "I don't know if anything's going to happen between you and me. I mean, I hope it does but...I know there's something you're not telling me and before anything does happen, I don't want there to be a big secret between us."

Completely caught off guard, John sat back in his chair, wide-eyed. On the one hand, he was shocked that Layla hadn't heard the whispers already about what happened before she arrived but he knew even if this was the case, he'd eventually have to tell her from his side. He just wanted to put that off for as long as possible.

"Talk to me, John. Who was she?"

"She was called Maria Kanellis." He began. "She was...perfect. Like a ray of sunshine or a magnet that everyone was drawn to. It sounds stupid but if you knew her, you understood. She was so enigmatic and just...amazing. We were together for about two years and I honestly never thought things would end between us – I dunno how she saw things but I just never saw things ending between us."

"So what happened?" The name 'Maria Kanellis' was familiar to Layla; she'd heard people around school saying it but she never really took onboard who she was.

"About a month before you came here, there was a car accident. She and Mickie – you know Mickie? Well she was her step-sister. Anyway, they were driving back from school and there was an accident. Some drunk driver in a Land Rover was in the wrong lane and he collided with their car. Mickie was okay because the car hit Maria's door and she got the full blow of the crash. They say she died straight away from the impact."

There were no words that could express how shocked Layla was. Obviously she was aware that something occurred but she assumed it was a bad break-up, not that his girlfriend died in such a tragic way. It seemed so unfair; on Mickie, on John.

"I can't believe it." Layla whispered, looking up at John. "I'm so sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault." He said with a small smile. "The thing is, Lay, I _really_ like you. Probably too much considering what happened to Maria but I don't want to jump into something serious so soon. People talk and I don't want them to think that this is a rebound...my feelings for you are much stronger than that."

Knowing John reciprocated her feelings was a relief but Layla couldn't help but wonder when it would be the right time for them to make a go of things. She understood that she couldn't rush him but like he said, people talk and they might never accept if anything happened between her and John; would she come out of this the bad guy, the one that took him away from Maria?

"If this is way too much for you, I'll understand if you don't want to be a part of it."

"I appreciate your honesty," Layla admitted, "And I'm really happy to finally know what's going on with you. I like you too, enough that I'm willing to wait around until the right moment comes."

He nodded, unsure of what else he was meant to do in that moment. Instead of talking, he sat next to her on the bed, their shoulders brushing. "Maybe we should get back to Truman Capote?" He held up _In Cold Blood_ with a shy smile.

"Good idea." They continued studying but when every so often, she'd catch him looking at her over the top of his book, it would give her a little bit of hope to know that she didn't have to rule out the possibility of something happening between them.

* * *

Thank you for all the reviews so far and please **review** again :) xx

**NEXT TIME – **_The day of Eve's party arrives and there are a couple of surprises in store. _


	10. Birthday Blues

Thank you for all the reviews :) Here's chapter 10...

* * *

**BIRTHDAY BLUES**

From the driver's seat of her car, Melina glanced over at her boyfriend with a smile. It was still early days but considering her last boyfriend Joey treated her like dirt, it was nice for her to be in a relationship where she actually felt like the guy cared about her. John Morrison was relatively new to Fitzwinter but he'd expressed an interest in Melina and she wasn't complaining.

"Everything okay?" John asked her as she kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wish I could say the same for Micks." She replied, running a hand through her mane of raven locks. "I've been so worried about her recently – she hasn't been herself since Maria died but she's been even more closed off this past week. If I can get her to come out tonight and have a good time at Eve's party, I know it'll be good for her."

"You're a good friend, you know that?"

The car stopped outside the James house and he leaned over to kiss her, a smile appearing on her lips as he did so. "Are you gonna come inside?"

"This is probably something best left to you." He decided; he barely knew Mickie and intruding in her house might not be best, considering her current mood.

She understood completely and with one more quick kiss, Melina hopped out of the car and strolled up the path towards the house. Ringing the doorbell, she waited patiently until Maria's mother Janet answered. "Hi Melina, you look lovely." Janet smiled at the Latina's party attire. "Off out tonight?"

"It's Eve's birthday party tonight." Melina reminded her carefully.

"Of course." She remembered her daughter's best friend. "Are you here to see if Mickie wants to come out? She hasn't left her room all day but you can try and see if you can get out her. Those four walls are going to drive her crazy."

They both winced at the step-mother's choice of words, words she instantly regretted. Janet held open the door for Mickie's best friend, who quickly scaled the stairs and tapped on the door of the brunette's bedroom. Melina couldn't remember the last time she knocked on her friend's door, normally she never even considered it but things had changed in recent weeks. "Micks, it's me, Mel." She called through the door. "Can I come in?"

There was no response so she pushed open the door. The only light on in the room was the bedside lamp and Mickie was lying on the bed, facing the wall so Melina couldn't see her. The white wire of her iPod earphones was visible; perhaps she couldn't hear her?

"It's Eve's party tonight." She lightly nudged her friend on the shoulder to get her attention but Mickie didn't move. "John and I are heading there now. Why don't you get changed and come out with us? It'll be fun."

"I don't feel like going out." Her voice was quiet but firm.

"Come on girl, it'll do you good to come out with us and have a good time! Everyone will be there. We'll have a couple of drinks, check out the hot guys, it'll be–"

"I don't want to go out, Mel, just leave it."

"Are you sure?"

Mickie didn't say anything and Melina was unsure of how much harder she should push her friend. She gave her arm a sympathetic pat and left the bedroom. In the hallway, she saw Janet coming out of her own bedroom carrying the laundry basket. Mickie's step-mother looked at her hopefully but Melina shook her head; there wasn't much more she could have done.

"Maybe another night." Janet said sadly. "Have a good night, Melina. And wish Eve a happy birthday from me."

"I will." She went back out to the car where John was. Her boyfriend looked at her in the same hopeful way but this time, Melina said "Something's wrong with her, John. I just want her to go back to being the way she was before."

"And she probably will soon enough – she's been through a hard time. There's not much else you can do; she's knows you're here for her and if she wants to talk, she can turn to you." He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Come on, we'd better get going."

Melina nodded, restarting up the car and heading towards Eve's party. She wanted to have a good night but with her best friend at home suffering, it would be a difficult task.

* * *

"Okay, don't look now, but how hot is Ted looking tonight?" In response to Maryse's comment, Rosa turned around in the direction of DiBiase, only for him to give a small wave when he saw the two girls looking. "I said don't look now!" The French-Canadian scolded, sighing and taking a sip of her drink.

"Ted _always_ looks hot. I don't know why you guys haven't got together already."

"You think I don't know what he and Kelly Blank got up to at Tiffany's party the other week? Someone needs to tell girlfriend that when you come out of a bedroom and people are making slurping noises at you, they know what went down!"

"Yeah, but Ted only got with Kelly because you weren't at Tiff's." Her friend pointed out.

"Whatever, if Ted wants anything to do with me, he can come find me. And tonight isn't about me and Ted–" Maryse put on a bright smile as Eve came towards them both, the birthday girl absolutely glowing. "–because tonight is about the _beautiful_ birthday girl! Seriously sweetie, everyone is having an amazing time!"

"Really, you think so?"

"Absolutely." Rosa agreed.

It was definitely the party of the year; everyone was either in the hired-out club or queuing outside to get in. Decked out with balloons yet still managing to stay classy and sufficiently un-high school, it was exactly what Eve wanted. The night had just begun and she couldn't count the amount of times she'd thanked her parents.

She was having fun, there was no denying that, but every so often, she'd remembered Maria and she'd be reminded of the fact her best friend couldn't be here to enjoy this with her. If the redhead was here, the two girls would be joined at the hip, giggling in each other's ears and having fun together. When she thought about it, it felt like there was a giant gaping hole by her side.

"Well, I should probably get going. More people to talk to; mingle, mingle, mingle." Eve smiled, giving both her friends a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you both so much – you know there'd be no party without you, don't you?"

"We're happy to help." The three girls came together for a hug before the birthday girl disappeared off into a crowd of people to socialise. "Is Kelly trying to talk to Ted?" Changing back to the original subject, Maryse craned her neck to look at the object of her desires. "Oh my God, that skanky bitch is all over him. I need to mark my territory."

Rosa looked at Maryse blankly. "You're going to pee on him?"

"No, Rosa, I'm not a dog. I'm going to show Kelly who is boss and I guarantee you Ted will be leaving with _me_ tonight."

"Maybe people will be making slurping noises at you?"

"That's not a good thing, honey. That is _not_ a good thing."

* * *

As Layla and John stepped out into the club's adjacent courtyard, she felt a breeze rush over her, away from the warmth of the inside. She took a seat on a nearby bench, took a deep breath of the cool air and smiled over at her date for the night. "I feel like I'm on an episode of Super Sweet 16 or something; Eve must've put a lot of work into tonight."

"Yeah, I didn't realise quite how seriously she was taking this. It's turned out pretty good though." John agreed. "And I feel I should tell you, Miss El, that you look lovely tonight."

"Well, thank you Mr Cena, you look very handsome yourself." The British beauty blushed. She had spent most of the afternoon debating which dress from her wardrobe – and her mother's – she should wear before eventually deciding on a simple short magenta number with her hair lightly waved for a softer look. Happy with her appearance, it was nice to know John appreciated it as well.

The evening was going well, she thought. After he asked her out, she briefly worried that because they started as friends, turning it into anything more might make things awkward but in fact, very little had changed. They still shared the same jokey, fun relationship, only they were now both bearing the other's feelings in mind.

Glancing to her side and seeing John smiling back at her, she once again felt the colour rise in her cheeks. "Thank you for inviting me tonight, as your date."

"I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be here with tonight."

"Me neither." A small shiver at the cold ran through her body and in response, John leaned over and wrapped an arm round her, her arm rubbing against his and her head falling onto his shoulder. "You know that conversation we had the other day? About Maria? I stand by what I said; I like you enough to wait until you're ready to be with someone else, whenever that is."

John turned his head to look at her and he felt a little bit bad; he liked her, almost as much as he did the redhead he'd pushed out of his thoughts for so long, but it was too soon. Not for him, though; he wanted her and all of her straight away; it was too soon for everyone else. He thought of Mickie and Eve and everyone else that loved Maria, and how horrified they'd be, knowing how quickly he could move on.

He felt bad that he managed to get over his girlfriend so fast and he knew that was something he'd have to analyse another time. More than this, he was sick of feeling like he had to cover up how he felt for the benefit of other people. It was his life and he knew Maria would want him to be happy. Layla made him happy, was that such a bad thing?

When he didn't say anything in response to her comment, she bit down on her lip, wondering whether she shouldn't have brought it up. "Perhaps we should head back inside." She suggested, getting to her feet.

"Layla?" He whispered, following her to his feet and standing directly in front of her. With one hand, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The other hand found the back of her neck and pulled her closer, as he pressed his lips against hers.

This completely contradicted everything he'd said to her but honestly, Layla didn't care. He tasted of the trip they'd taken to Taco Bell before the party, with a hint of spearmint chewing gum he'd had afterwards. His hard body moulded against her soft, petite curves and they seemed to fit together, as John's tongue snaked inside Layla's mouth and her hand rested against one of his pecs. As he pulled away, he noticed the smile on her face and could feel one gracing his own lips.

"But I thought you wanted–"

"I want _you_, Lay. Maybe it is too soon but I can't help that I fell for someone else."

She smiled, kissing him again. "You really mean that?"

"I really do." He stepped back from her, gesturing inside. "Shall we get back to the party?"

Nodding, she laced her arm through his as they headed back inside. Layla didn't know where things were going to go between them after that kissed but she was excited to find out where it would be.

* * *

From the other side of the party, Jeff watched as his brother played the perfect boyfriend to Eve; holding hands, whispering into her ear with compliments, it was so false. He'd repeatedly told Matt that he needed to tell his girlfriend the truth and here he was, acting as if nothing was wrong.

"I _love_ that your brother is dating one of the hottest girls at Fitzwinter." Jeff's best friend Shannon Moore commented as the two guys sat at the bar. "There are some very nice ladies here tonight."

"You know most of them are dating footballers or have their eyes on college guys, right?"

"Now they do. Later on, they're gonna get a little drunk and all they're gonna want is a sweet guy to tell them how wonderful they are. Enter Shannon."

Jeff shook his head and grinned. "Well good luck with your plan. While you're doing that, will you be alright if I go talk to Matt?"

When his friend nodded, Jeff headed over to his brother, who was in amongst a crowd of people, discussing the recent success of Fitzwinter's football team. "So I passed the ball over to John, who nailed it and that got us even with those St Mark's bitches–"

"Hey Matt, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Matt shot his brother a look that showed he wasn't happy with the interruption, however he obliged, as the pair disappeared into the currently-empty courtyard. Closing the door behind them, the older Hardy raised an eyebrow at his younger bro. "What? What do you want now?"

"You haven't told her yet." Jeff reminded him.

"No, I haven't told her yet – it's her birthday and I'm hardly gonna drop a bombshell. 'Hey Eve, here are the earrings I got you, oh, by the way, I slept with your best friend.'" Matt sank down onto one of the benches and looked up at Jeff. "I don't know why the fuck you keep getting involved. It's between Eve and me, not you."

"I'm getting involved because I'm trying to stop you from hurting her."

"So you think I should tell her on her birthday? You really don't know a lot about timing, do you?"

"Actually, I know a lot about timing. I know the longer you hide this from Eve, the more it's going to hurt her–"

"I'm sorry?" Both Hardy's turned around and saw the birthday girl stood in the doorway. Eve was staring directly at her boyfriend, not taking her eyes off of him. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

In that moment, Matt snapped, knowing his secret was about to come out and it was all his brother's fault. "You bastard!" He lunged at Jeff, picking up the younger Hardy by the collar and pushing him up against the brick wall, his feet lifted off the ground. "I told you to keep your mouth shut but you just couldn't stay out of things, could you?"

"Matt, let go of him!" Eve tugged at her boyfriend's arm, begging him to put Jeff down. Everyone inside the party had stopped, hovering by the glass doors. They couldn't hear what was going on but the fight was enough of a giveaway to know there was something serious occurring. "Let him go!"

He dropped Jeff, watching as his brother sank to the ground. He raised his hands to his head and let out a frustrated groan. "You've screwed everything up!" He yelled at his little brother.

"I knew something's wrong long ago, Matt." Eve turned her boyfriend's head so he was looking directly into her eyes, her hands either side of his face tenderly. "You haven't been acting right for a long time and I know you're hiding something. Why won't you tell me what it is?"

"Why don't you tell her, if you're so keen for the truth to come out?" Matt spat at Jeff.

"No, I need to hear this from you." She told him, a hint of anger coming out. "Stop keeping secrets from me and tell me what's going on!"

Matt glanced back at the party; everyone had stopped and was looking at the trio curiously; obviously they had no idea what was going on. He then looked down at his brother and back up at Eve. He was about to break her heart. "I slept with someone else."

Everything seemed to stop in that moment for Eve. Her heart seemed to slow down before it thumped deafeningly in her ears. She felt the tears prick up in her eyes and a large lump form in her throat; her boyfriend and someone else? She loved him and he betrayed her. How could this happen? How could he do this to her?

"You cheated on me?" Her voice came out quiet and timid, so different to the confidence she'd developed over the past couple of weeks. "How...when...I don't get it, I thought you loved me."

"I do love you, the whole thing was just...I don't know what it was, but I'm with you and I love you and that's all that matters." He clutched at her upper arms but she pushed him off her. "You're my girlfriend and I don't want to be with anyone else–"

"Then why did you do it? Was it just a onetime thing or was it some...sordid, secretive affair?"

"It happened more than once." He admitted solemnly.

"Oh my God, and I didn't know?" She sank down onto the bench and leaned back against the cold wall, completely stunned by what had happened. She felt the tears begin to slip down her cheeks. Just a couple of minutes ago, she'd been blissfully happy, on top of the world and now? Everything was crumbling and falling apart. "Who was she? One of the cheerleaders? Does she go to our school? Do I know her?"

"It was Maria."

Eve didn't think it could get much worse but apparently it could. Now it was like someone had ripped her heart straight out of her chest and thrown it against the brick wall, watching as it shattered. She felt like she might be sick or her eyes might burn from how bad her tears were stinging; she could use all the disgusting metaphors in the world but it wouldn't describe how dirty and cheated she felt.

"As in my best friend Maria? As in my _dead_ best friend Maria?" Now it was her turn to snap. "How could you do this? How could you do this to me?" She leapt at her ex, thumping her fists against his chest as the tears streamed freely from her eyes. Jeff, who hadn't moved from his spot on the floor, got to his feet and attempted to pull Eve away, only for her fists to flail weakly at Matt, as Jeff restrained her by the waist.

"I can explain–"

"You can explain all you want but it doesn't make any difference to the fact you were fucking my best friend behind my back? I can't believe you, I can't believe her...you're both sick people!" Once again, she flew at him, only for Jeff to hold her back once again. "I loved you with all my heart, I gave you everything and _this_ is how you repay me?"

"I'm sorry, Eve." He sounded genuinely apologetic but Eve didn't want to hear him, as she stood sobbing, shaking her head in disbelief. "I cared about her but not the way I did you–"

"Oh thank you, Matt!" She said sarcastically, now screaming at him. "Thank you _so_ much for caring about my best friend when she had a boyfriend anyway! Oh God, I told her everything about us...were you guys laughing it up when you had your sneaky little get-togethers?"

"It wasn't like that–"

"You're right, I don't need to know details. I know that you were sleeping with my dead best friend behind my back. Were you doing it up until her death?" His silence was enough of a response. "I...I don't even want to look at you."

So she didn't hang around. She ran away as fast as her heels would let her, straight past a sea of confused party goers, as well as members of her family that were even more bemused. She kept running until she was outside the club and halfway down the road until eventually she stopped and sank down onto a curb. The cold night air felt freezing as she pulled her knees up to her chest and continued to sob into her arms.

Matt and Maria. Her boyfriend and her best friend. Her boyfriend and her dead best friend. How could Matt do this to her? How could Maria do this to her? So many questions she'd never know the answer to and that was even more heartbreaking.

In the distance, she heard the town clock chime twelve, its chimes ringing through the town and alerting her that her birthday had arrived. "Happy birthday, Eve." She whispered to herself through floods of heartbroken tears.

* * *

Everyone was wondering why it was taking so long for Matt to reveal all and it was pretty much because I had to have it happen at Eve's birthday party... because I'm evil :D  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and please **review**! xx

**NEXT TIME –**_ Word has spread about Maria and Matt and everyone has something to say. _


	11. Shockwaves

Thank you for all the reviews guyyyys :) Here's chapter 11...

* * *

**SHOCKWAVES **

When it came to getting ready for school, Layla had a pretty regular routine she stuck to; a wake-up call from her alarm led to a quick but thorough shower. Once she was dry, she got dressed, applied her make-up and blow-dried her hair to suit whatever style she was planning on working. Breakfast followed and it usually included croissants and coffee, or whatever diet her mother was currently undertaking. Then she brushed her teeth before walking to school or getting her mother to drive her, depending on how generous Mrs El was feeling.

This routine didn't normally include trying to call John Cena every ten minutes but unfortunately, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Eve's birthday party on Saturday had been going perfectly, right up until the end when everyone's attention was drawn to the courtyard outside where just twenty minutes earlier, John had kissed her. The entire party was suddenly focused on Eve and the Hardy brothers, as they watched the series of events unfold, ending in the birthday girl storming out and not returning.

After hearing a variety of stories about what had transpired, it was eventually revealed that Eve had ended things with Matt after discovering he had been cheating on her with Maria up until her death. When the news got to John, he was understandably shocked and wanted to leave straight away. Layla, who'd driven him to the party, took him home but they didn't speak a word to each other the whole ride.

Did this mean that John wasn't interested in her anymore? Clearly the revelation had knocked him and definitely reminded him of his feelings for Maria but had it changed the way he felt about Layla? Before, he said he wanted to be with her but maybe this wasn't the case anymore.

For about the fifth time that morning, Layla ran over to her cell phone to check if he'd called. Once again, he hadn't. When he was going into his house after she dropped him home, she told him to let her know he was okay but he hadn't got in touch at all on Sunday, prompting her to leave a brief voicemail on his phone that night, asking if he was alright.

Just as she was contemplating leaving John one more message, her mother knocked at the door and let herself in. She'd informed Debbie of the events of the party so her mother was aware of what she was going through. "Still nothing?" She shook her head in response. "Come on honey, I'm driving past school, I'll take you."

The only good thing that would come from attending school that day was the prospect that she'd see John. The bad thing about attending school was that something that hadn't even started between the two of them might have already ended.

* * *

As Eve entered the halls of Fitzwinter, she was completely aware that before she entered, every single member of the student body had been talking about her, something that was apparent by the sudden silence as she passed through.

It was the first day back after her break-up with Matt and she knew it would be tough but this? Sympathetic silence as she walked past? This was worse than anything she could've predicted. All eyes were on her, eyes that felt sorry for her and knew all the details of the hell she'd been going through. She knew eventually it would come out but was it so wrong to want a little time to get over what had happened?

After all, she was still hurting, still reeling from Matt's revelation. Her boyfriend and her dead best friend. Those words kept spiralling round her head and reminded her of the betrayal she'd gone through. Not only was she heartbroken but she was embarrassed that she'd been lied to for so long and that now the whole school knew how stupid she was.

Following her storming out of her own birthday party, Eve had spent the weekend holed up in her bedroom, refusing to talk about what happened, even to Maryse and Rosa who made a surprise visit to come see her. It was the last thing she wanted to talk about but it was the only thing on her mind.

"Bet you're wishing you took the day off, huh?" Speaking of Maryse, her friend came up behind her and linked her arm through hers, casting evil stares at anyone looking their way. Not exactly sympathetic but honest.

"Totally." Eve agreed. "I wouldn't mind if the floor swallowed me up right about now."

"You know that soon enough there'll be some new story everyone's talking about. Rosa's pretty sure after you left, she heard Kelly boning some guy in one of the bathroom stalls."

"We all know that's an average Saturday night for Kelly; she has a permanent dent in her back where the toilet paper holder digs into her. No-one's shocked by that whereas they're probably going to be talking about me and Matt until graduation." She went inside her locker and pulled out her geometry textbook for her next class but just as she and Maryse were about to head off, someone on the other side of the hall was mimicking her actions. "I'll meet you in class, okay?"

Eve walked towards Randy, who was stood by his own locker, taking out his geometry textbooks ready for next class. Upon seeing the talk of the school coming over, he offered something of a smile.

"You knew, didn't you?"

He nodded. "I found out the day Maria died – I saw her and Matt kissing in the gym at lunch. If Maria hadn't...you know, I probably would have told you." He admitted. "I hoped that soon enough Matt would tell you but if I'd have known things were going to come out the way they did, I'd have told you myself."

"What happened...it's not your fault. You're the last person there is to blame for Matt's stupid actions. And Maria's." She added the last part reluctantly, still finding it difficult to understand why Maria would do what she did. Her best friend always used to tell her that boyfriends came and went but friends were forever; clearly Maria had a twisted concept of what role a best friend played.

Noticing the fallen look on her face, he didn't know whether he should offer her comfort of some sort. "There's not really a lot I can say that will make you feel any better," said Randy. "But it's like when Maria died – everyone kept saying that each day, it would get a little easier. I guess it's the same with this.

"Meaning someday I won't feel like I've had my heart trampled on?" The bell rang, signalling that they had to make their way towards geometry. "So I didn't understand the homework from last class." She changed the subject as they walked to the classroom. "Well, I managed A, B and C but the additional work was much more difficult."

She didn't care what it was but she wanted something to take her mind off of what was going on and if that was geometry, it would have to suffice.

* * *

"We were driving back to this chick's house and I decided I ought to tell her I was in high school." Adam was explaining his latest conquest to the rest of the locker room; his oldest to date, a thirty five year old. "But she just turns to me and says 'Sweetie, believe me, I know, I like 'em young.' So we had sex on the kitchen table – she said she didn't feel right doing it in her bed because her husband's in Florida on business."

A couple of high fives were exchanged but the usual enthusiasm was missing from everyone. Despite Adam's best efforts, the normally upbeat attitude of the football team had nose-dived since Eve's birthday party. In fact, it had been replaced by a mood similar to that when Maria died; everyone tip-toeing around John. Matt hadn't arrived yet and everyone was dreading the moment he did, knowing the tension could be cut with a knife.

Sensing the unease between the guys, Adam went over to his best friend, whose back was turned to the rest of the locker room as he got ready for practise. "Hey." He nudged him cautiously. "You can sit today out, if you want. The guys would understand."

"No." The captain of the team replied without hesitation. "I want to be here." Being at football practise was the best place for him. It was where he was happiest and it was better than sitting at home, stewing over Maria and Matt and asking himself the same questions over and over again. Since Maria's death, he'd pushed her to the back of his mind but now this had come up, he couldn't stop analysing every detail.

He thought that he and Maria were happy; did she not feel the same? And why Matt of all people? Why one of his best friends? Why _her_ best friend's boyfriend? He wanted to talk to Eve and see how she was doing. More so, he wanted to see if she was having as much trouble getting to grips with the situation as he was. He'd seen her at lunch but he wasn't sure how he was meant to approach her or what he was supposed to say.

With his back to everyone, he was unsure as to why the room suddenly dissolved into silence. When he turned around and saw that Matt had arrived, however, he understood. Their eyes met but neither man said a word, as the most hated guy at Fitzwinter went over to his usual spot to get dressed for practise.

"I'm sorry." All the guys turned to stare as Hardy spoke up. "I know it doesn't make up for what Maria and I did but it's all I can say. That wasn't how I wanted things to come out."

Taking a moment to compose himself, John asked "Do you regret it?" He gave Matt a moment to answer but was taken aback when he didn't. "You don't regret it?" Slowly, he walked over to him. "Do you love her?"

"I don't know about love but I had real feelings for Maria and I know she had feelings for me too."

"Well, I was her boyfriend so I thought she had feelings for me too. Maybe I'm wrong."

"Maria loved you but she cared about me too. I'm Eve's boyfriend, I love Eve but I still care about Maria. We can't help the way we feel."

This was the wrong thing to say, not what John wanted to hear, and the rest of the footballers knew it. Matt winced as John stepped up to him, nose-to-nose and told him "You're a real prick, aren't you Hardy? You kept that one hidden for a long time. By the way, someone should point out you're not Eve's boyfriend anymore – I think making her cry and her running out of her own birthday party was a good indication things are over between the two of you."

"Are you gonna hit me? You can if it'll make you feel better–"

"I'm not going to hit you. Yeah, knocking your lights out probably would make me feel better but what's done is done. Besides, I'm the captain of this football team and you're still one of the best linebackers we've got. We all have to work together, whether we like it or not."

Matt held out a hand for John to shake but the captain shoved it away. "Like you said, what's done is done." Hardy agreed. "But it takes two, you know. Aren't you angry with Maria as well?"

"I can get angry at Maria all I want but it's not going to make any difference because she's gone and I can't blame her. Besides, I think dying in a car crash is punishment enough, don't you?" The rest of the guys were taken aback by his harsh tone but John wasn't done. He continued, "I think you're a dick but I don't need to tell you that because now, everyone at school is going to hate you too. You were screwing the dead girl behind the new 'Queen Bee's' back. I'm the least of your worries, it's the rest of Fitzwinter you have to watch out for." He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the team and said "Out to the field guys, two laps! Join us when you're dressed, Matt."

He began to follow the footballers out but he stopped at the door and turned back to Matt. "Make that three laps for you, Hardy. After all, you arrived ten minutes late."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review**! xx

**NEXT TIME – **_Mickie has her first therapy session and Layla makes a new friend. _


	12. Home Truths

What's up? (Insert readers response in an R-Truth fashion).  
Yeah, well when I called this chapter 'Home Truths', all I could think of was R-Truth.  
So now this chapter is tainted with conspiricies and all tha jazz.  
Yadda yadda yadda, enough of my rambling, ENJOY! (Little Jimmys...)

* * *

**HOME TRUTHS**

Dr Knowles was a tall woman that looked to be in her mid-late-thirties. She wore a black trouser suit with a white shirt and had cropped brown hair. Her face was serious but not unfriendly and she spoke with a hint of Boston in her voice.

Her office wasn't how Mickie expected it to be. She imagined a dark room with lots of bookcases and a chaise longue for her to lie on and dramatically weep over all her problems. Instead, she was greeted by a medium-sized, light and airy room. There was a desk in the corner and in the middle, a coffee table with two couches either side of it; one for Dr Knowles to sit on and the other for her patient.

"Your step-mother tells me you were reluctant to attend these sessions." Dr Knowles told her from the other side of the table. "You have every right to be and I'm not going to make you say anything you don't want to, although I've been doing this for nine years and in my experience, it's the people most willing to open up that gain the most."

"How much do you already know?" Mickie asked.

"Only a little bit. I'd rather hear your side of the story, not your step-mothers."

"I was driving home from school," she began, "and Maria – my step-sister – was with me. We always travel to and from school together; I drive and she sat in the passenger seat because quite honestly, her driving sucks. The whole thing happened really quickly; one minute we're talking like nothing's wrong and the next, this car's flying at us. Maria leaned over to the wheel and swerved but she turned the car so she got the full force of when the Land Rover hit us. Certain details are blurry but others are so clear."

"Like what?"

"The accident knocked me out – I hit my head – and when I woke up, Maria was lying there, before they took her away. She had this big cut on her forehead but what really scared me was how wide open her eyes were – as if she were still watching us."

"Is that what you've been dreaming about, Mickie?"

She was caught off-guard by the question but answered. "Kinda. In my dreams, I'm lying next to her. She's dead and I'm still alive but the paramedics don't realise I'm still there. They try and put me in the body bag next to her and I'm screaming, begging them for help, but they can't hear me." She paused and saw Dr Knowles scribbling into a notepad. "Am I always going to feel this way?"

The therapist's head flicked up and she offered Mickie a gentle smile. "Not if you let me help you."

With a polite nod, she asked "Do you mind if I go to the bathroom quickly?" After receiving a nod not dissimilar to her own, she exited the room and went down the corridor towards the nearest toilet. It wasn't that she needed to pee, more than she needed a break before things got too intense.

Just a couple of months ago, she'd been a normal teenage girl with little more to worry about than school, her friends and the usual worries that crossed the mind of girls her age. Now all of that was pushed to the back of her mind because she felt in a constant cycle of unhappiness that she just wanted to be over. Was that really so much to ask?

She splashed her un-made up face with cold water and blinked a few times as she looked up at herself in the mirror. She didn't want to be here; she didn't want to be _this_ girl and that's why she went back into Dr Knowles' office, deciding to conquer her demons before it was too late.

* * *

Despite her being relatively athletic, Layla had never been keen on gym class. Or P.E as it was called back in England. There were the athletic girls that ran track or were on the swim team, or played on the volleyball or lacrosse or hockey teams, girls like Beth, Nattie, Gail and Tamina. Then there were the cheerleaders that got out of gym because apparently cheerleading constituted as a sport.

No-one else was particularly interested in gym and the teacher Ms Boyce knew that, as she made the girls do two laps around the track. Layla decided to stick in amongst the crush of girls, moving steadily around the track, but as she did, she found her eyes flicking up to the bleachers where she noticed Adam sat. As subtly as possible, she found herself creeping away from the pack and over to John's best friend.

"Don't you have a class to be at?" She asked, standing in front of him.

"Math can wait when there are girls in the shortest shorts I've ever seen. That is a fantastic pair of pins you've got there, Miss El." He eyed her up and down, a smile on his face.

She shook her head at him, taking a seat next to him on the bleachers. "I wanted to ask you about John. Since Eve's party, he's been avoiding me – I just need to talk to him, I need to see what's going on."

"If you're looking for him today, he's not around, he's helping out at some sport programme at the local elementary school so he'll be there all day." Adam leaned forward, his elbows rested against his knees. "I know something was about to happen between you two and the timing of the Maria/Matt thing isn't ideal but John's in shock. He's confused – one minute he's mourning his dead girlfriend, the next it turns out she isn't the angel he thought she was."

"Is this what he's told you?"

"He's my best friend, he doesn't need to tell me anything. John's one of those guys who has a face that tells you the whole story."

"I don't know whether I'm supposed to give him his space or whether I should be there to comfort him–"

"Layla El, I don't believe I have you permission to be sat on the bleachers flirting with Mr Copeland." Ms Boyce walked up to the pair, scanning her eyes over them disapprovingly. Although she hadn't been at the school for long, Layla already decided Boyce was already her least favourite teacher. "Why aren't you on the track with the rest of the girls?"

"I…I was–"

"She has a headache and was asking if I had any aspirin on me." Adam lied seamlessly. "Unfortunately, I don't."

"I have something in the locker room, come with me. And Adam, don't you have a class you should be in?"

The gym teacher led Layla back inside but as they entered the girls locker room, there was another student in there. Layla recognised her from a couple of her classes; she was tall, slim, blonde and attractive. She looked like the stereotypical popular type but Layla never saw her at lunch with the cheerleaders or Eve's group of friends.

"Michelle McCool, you're late." Ms Boyce stood with her hands on her hips, disapprovingly eying the blonde up and down. "Again."

"Sorry." She shrugged, pulling her gym shorts, t-shirt and sneakers out of her school bag.

"No excuse? Well, you can make it up to me after school. How does six laps around the track sound?"

"But Ms Boyce–"

"Come on, Michelle, that's a walk in the park for you." The teacher found two aspirin in the cupboard for Layla to take, thrusting them into her hand. "See you girls out on the track."

As soon as she was gone, Michelle let out a frustrated sigh, pulling off her jeans and slipping into the shorts. "I hate that woman. Seriously, I hate her. I dropped out of the track team after sophomore year so I could focus on my schoolwork and she hasn't forgiven me for it. She can't exactly blame me for putting my studies before running but apparently losing her star sprinter was a tough blow."

Unsure of what to say, Layla hoped the look she was given her showed sympathy.

Michelle turned around and smiled. "You're the new girl from England, aren't you? I always thought you seemed nice." She commented, the last of the gym kit on her slender frame. "Let's go, we'd better get out there before Boyce decides to make it ten laps."

* * *

"You're all much quieter than usual."

The stony silence of the dinner table hadn't gone unnoticed by Elizabeth Hardy, who looked at each of the men around her in turn. Her husband wasn't usually the chatty type and her sons' usual teenage grunts were positively mute. Matt stared at his plate of pasta, as if willing it to clear itself, whereas Jeff wolfed down the whole lot in record time, barely stopping to breathe. Nobody responded to her comment, not even glancing over at her.

"Nice to know I'm noticed around here." Sighing, she filled up her glass of water from the jug on the table before turning to her youngest son. "Jeff, how was your day?"

"It was okay," he replied. "They've chosen twenty students from Fitzwinter to display their artwork at the gallery downtown and I'm one of them."

"That's fantastic news. We'll all have to take a trip down there to have a look at it when it's up, won't we?"

"Yeah, well done Jeff. Good work." Matt commented sarcastically under his breath, pushing the pasta around his plate.

Elizabeth heard his comment but ignored the sarcastic tone and carried on. "So what was the painting of? Is it one we've seen?"

"No, I actually only came up with it a couple of weeks ago…after Maria died. It's of her, actually." Jeff admitted quietly, this time not looking up at anyone else around the table.

Matt slammed down his cutlery. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Matthew Moore Hardy, don't you dare use that language at the dinner table." His mother scolded him and turned back to the younger Hardy. "That's really wonderful, Jeff. I'm sure it's great and I can't wait to see how it looks."

"This is a joke."

"What is your problem this evening? In fact, you've developed quite an attitude over the past few weeks. Is there something you'd like to share with us? The thing that's making you so angry? Is it something to do with your friends? Football? Have you spoken to Eve about it?"

"Eve and I broke up."

With no idea any of this had happened, his mother was shocked. Her husband, not good in situations where emotions and sharing were concerned, finished his food and disappeared up to his study with a bottle of brandy from the liquor cabinet. Once he was gone, Elizabeth placed her cutlery down on her plate and leaned forward. "Matt, I had no idea. When did this happen? What went wrong?"

He didn't respond to his mother's question. Maybe it was out of shame for what happened or possibly embarrassment for revealing such intimate details to her but whatever it was, the words weren't going to come out of his mouth.

"You can sit there with a face like thunder for as long as you want but you know I'm friends with Eve's parents so if you don't tell me, I'm sure to find out from them."

There was still no response from Matt.

"Matt cheated on Eve and I made him tell her." Both heads turned to Jeff, sat at the end of the table. Noticing his brother's furious expression, he rolled his eyes. "It was going to come out eventually, you can't just run away from it."

"What a load of bullshit. You're an idiot, you know that right? First you make me ruin my relationship with Eve and now all my friends hate me, then you tell mom? Are you fucking stupid?"

"Are _you_ stupid?" Elizabeth cut in, her eyes wide as she raised her voice at her son. "You cheated on Eve? That girl was good for you, Matt – a genuinely sweet, wonderful girl that cared about you. Clearly she was _too_ good if I think about what you did to her. And after everything she's been through, she must be even more heartbroken."

Even Jeff decided that bringing up Maria wasn't appropriate.

"You know, I thought I'd brought you up well but apparently not. I think this is the most disappointed I've ever been in you."

"Oh really? So there's nothing I could say or do that could make you think any lower of me than you do right now?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, I might as well tell you that it was Maria I was seeing behind Eve's back then. But like you said, there's nothing I could do to make you think lower of me."

It was so difficult for Elizabeth to hear. How could her son, the boy she'd brought up right, do something so cold-hearted, so against everything she'd ever taught him? Growing up in a house male-dominated, she'd tried to teach him how to respect women. Had all that gone over his head? She looked over at Jeff, who was once again avoiding her gaze, and then back at Matt. Was this a result of her parenting or was Matt just a bad seed?

Whatever it was, she didn't want to talk to her son. "Go to your room." She hadn't said this to him since he was about ten but she didn't know what else to do. "Go!"

Matt didn't argue, storming up the stairs and slamming the door of his room so hard that the whole house seemed to shake. Neither Elizabeth nor Jeff seemed to react, still sat in their chairs with sombre faces.

"Well, these dishes aren't going to clear themselves away."

Jeff watched as his mother got to her feet and began gathering plates and disappearing in and out of the kitchen. As observant as ever, he looked over at the tear that had slipped out from the corner of her right eye. "You need a hand?" He asked.

She nodded and in silence, they tidied up the table, neither one mentioning a word about what had just happened.

* * *

Hope you liked the update :) Sorry about the long delay since the last chapter and thank you for all the feedback!  
Please leave a** review** :) xx

**NEXT TIME – **_Mickie finds out about Maria and John finally speaks to Layla. _


	13. Paint It Red

That annoying moment when you get total writer's block for this chapter... :/ I wanted the Eve scene to be much longer but my mind just went blank.  
Anyway, thanks for all the reviews so far and hope you enjoy chapter 13 :)

* * *

**PAINT IT RED**

"Did you finish that homework for Madame Posey?"

As Mickie and Melina headed into their French class, both girls felt relieved that things seemed to be returning to normal. No special treatment or pitying looks, just plain best friend talk. After a break to get back on her feet, Mickie was coming back to school full-time and she was actually beginning to enjoy it, mainly because her education gave her something to focus her energy on; at least that's what Dr Knowles said.

"I did the first part," the brunette replied, sitting down in her seat by the window. "The translation on page 60 wasn't too bad but that article she told us to look at was hard. I don't think half of those words are even in my French dictionary."

"Yeah, I found that difficult too. She said if I stopped by after school, she'd go through it with me. Do you want to come along?"

"I would but I have an appointment with Dr Knowles. Pick up any extra notes for me?"

"Sure." Melina nodded. When it came to her best friend's therapy, she didn't pry too much, mainly because she was unsure how to go about it. It had come up in conversation but the Latina didn't think Mickie needed her to counsel her _about_ counselling. If she wanted to open up to Melina though, she'd obviously be there to listen.

Mickie went into her school bag in search of a pen and her French textbook but when she looked up again, Brie Bella, who sat on the table in front of her, was turned around, her elbow rested on Mickie's desk.

"Can I help you?"

One half of the 'Bella twins', along with her identical twin Nikki, Brie was one of the cheerleaders and not the nicest of girls. Although neither twin had done anything to Mickie or any of her close friends, there was something about the girls that she just didn't trust. "Did you know?" The twin asked, running a hand through her long, silky hair, a single eyebrow arched.

"Did I know what?"

"Oh come on, you must've known. Other than Eve – who she clearly wasn't going to tell – you were Maria's confidante. Surely she said something to you. Did you not even see them together? I'd have thought maybe you'd have walked in on them–"

"Brie, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. What don't I know about Maria?"

At that point, Melina's ears plucked up as she excused herself from the conversation she was having with someone on the other side of her. Did Mickie not _know_? She'd missed a lot of school recently but the Latina just assumed she'd heard it through the grapevine; perhaps as her best friend, she should have spoken to her about it directly but it seemed like the kind of thing that would be avoided from conversation. "Micks–"

"Hold up," Brie pointed at Mickie, "you really don't know what I'm talking about?"

"Mickie–" Melina didn't think this was something she should've heard from Brie.

"You didn't know that your step-sister was seeing Matt Hardy behind John Cena's back? It's been the talk of the school! Eve's dumped Matt's cheating ass and John hasn't mentioned it to anyone...I can't believe you didn't know!" This time, Brie wasn't even being spiteful; she genuinely just couldn't believe that Mickie didn't know. Mickie looked over at Melina, whose face held an apologetic look.

What was she supposed to think? She wanted to talk to Eve, to John, but mostly to Maria. She also wanted to get the hell out of her French classroom but Madame Posey had just arrived and was already quietening the class down. It was as if all the progress Mickie had made with Dr Knowles was pointless and now she had a new problem to face.

What if the person you thought you knew most in the world wasn't that person at all?

* * *

When Eve thought back on the last time she visited Maria's grave, she remembered thinking what a lovely day it was; all shining sun and blue skies. This time, although it wasn't as windy, it was overcast, clouds filling the grey sky. She pushed open the large black iron gates and headed over to her friend's grave. There were still numerous bouquets of flowers laid out in front of the headstone, although the yellow carnations from Eve's last visit were still there, looking weak and lifeless.

Eve found it sad to think about what happened to graves when people stopped caring; did they just go unattended? No flowers as a sign of respect, just the dull earth and footprints from where people had passed? Would that happen to Maria? Right now, her death was still fresh in people's minds as they brought flowers but in two years time, would that still be the case? Or would she be just another headstone?

When she came here before, at first, she felt utterly ridiculous talking to a headstone but this time, there was so much she needed to get off her chest, she didn't care if anyone else heard.

"I didn't want to come down here today but I had to clear my head," she began. "My parents just got back from one of their trips and Phillip has a bunch of his friends over and they're playing Guitar Hero so loudly that I can barely hear myself think."

She allowed herself to giggle slightly at the image she left the house with, a bunch of junior high students poorly executing Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Free Bird' in her living room. Then she remembered why she'd come here and her laughter died away.

"If you were still here, I'd ask you why you did it... why you lied to me and to John. You were supposed to be my best friend but what you did was so..." There wasn't a word she could think of that described how she felt. "Everyone at school seems to hate Matt for what happened. It's like they've forgotten that you were even involved. I'm not excusing him for what he did – I'll probably never forgive him for it – but it's like death makes you the victim.

"I don't know how I'm meant to feel right now. I'm so confused by this whole thing. I can't be anything but angry with Matt. With you, though, it's that little bit worse. Guys are supposed to come and go but best friends are always meant to be there. I wish I could understand what made you do it and then maybe I'd be able to move on, but I don't get it. I don't know what I did to deserve to feel like this."

She began to see spots in front of her eyes as she desperately tried to push back the tears that had formed. When she cried before Maria's grave before, it was sadness that her friend had been snatched away from her. This time, it was anger and confusion over her friend's betrayal. Until this point, she'd been holding in all her feelings about the situation – she'd barely even let Maryse or Rosa know how she was feeling – but she suddenly felt overwhelmed.

A bunch of pink tulips sat by Maria's headstone, pink and untouched, but before Eve knew what she was doing, she'd taken the flowers out from the plastic and was tearing them to shreds, unable to see the damage through damp eyes.

"I don't understand." She whispered once more, rubbing her eyes dry and looking at the carnage she'd caused. Instead of clearing it up, she kicked the remains onto the nearby path, and began walking out of the graveyard, not once turning back.

* * *

Back in England, Layla and her mother had a tradition that if neither of them had plans on a Friday night, they'd put on their pyjamas, order a takeout and spend the night watching crap TV on the couch. Tonight was one of those nights; Debbie was on the phone to the local Chinese, there was a bottle of red wine on the coffee table and E! Entertainment was on the television.

"I've just ordered us up some food." Debbie informed her daughter, sitting down next to her and pouring herself a glass of wine. "They're out of that soup you like so I got another tub of egg-fried rice instead."

"Great."

"So what're you up to this weekend then?"

"Well, I have a thrilling essay on Abe Lincoln that's due on Monday but other than that, very little." She rolled her eyes before sarcastically muttering, "Me and my exciting life."

"And you still haven't spoken to John?"

Layla shook her head, surprisingly calm about it. "I've been thinking about it and it's fine. I'm over it. He can do whatever he wants with his life. If I fit in there, hey great, but if I don't, that's not a problem. I don't want to get upset about it anymore."

Debbie was about to reply to her daughter but the doorbell rang, cutting her off. "That can't be the food already, can it? I only ordered about a minute ago." She got to her feet and went over to answer the door. Once open, she was greeted by a handsome teenage boy stood on her doorstep. "Are you John?" He matched up perfectly to the description Layla had given of him. When he nodded, she called over to her daughter, "Lay, you have a visitor."

When she went over to the door and saw John, her first thought was _couldn't he have called to say he was coming over?_ She could've done with some time to change out of her pink vest top and grey sweatpants, not to mention put a little make-up on. After the initial shock was gone, she purely wanted to know why he was here.

"Can I come in?" He asked politely.

"Yeah, sure." She held the door open for him to enter and as much as she could see her mother wanted to listen in, she gestured that John follow her up to her bedroom.

Once the pair was inside Layla's bedroom, silence filled the air. John stood by the door, awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot. It wasn't the first time he'd been in a female's bedroom but Layla's intimidated him more than Maria's ever had. "Well?" She sat down on the edge of her bed, waiting for him to say something. Anything to fill the tension. "You obviously didn't come over here to stand there without saying anything."

John smiled slightly, scratching the back of his head. "I thought you might be a little bit cold with me."

"Can you blame me? One minute, you're telling me you want to give us a chance, the next it's like I don't even exist. I get that stuff's happened but as you Americans say, a 'heads up' would've been nice."

Even when she was angry with him, Layla couldn't resist that guilty smile that sat on his lips. "I don't blame you at all. In fact, I think you're probably going quite easy on me, but please, put yourself in my shoes and try to imagine the couple of days that I've had. I've been going back and forth because I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel."

She patted the spot on the bed next to her, gesturing he come sit down. "So tell me. I've always said that I'd be there for you if you needed me and I want to be there now."

He sat down and sighed. "Are you sure you want to hear this? It's gonna open up a big can of worms–"

"Well, let's kill those worms then." She smiled back at him.

"If you'd have known Maria, you'd have liked her," he began, "everyone did. She was…I dunno, she was something else. She had this crazy charisma that meant people were drawn to her straight away. Maybe it was the fact she was so nice to everyone or it was that she was beautiful and intelligent and likeable. I don't know, it was probably a combination of all those things."

"She sounds like a great girl."

"I thought she was. And you know what scared me? When she died, I felt…nothing. I didn't want to mourn because it didn't feel real. It was like, I knew she was gone but it hadn't sunk in and I never felt truly sad about it like everyone else did. Everyone cried at her funeral. I didn't. And it's not because I'm some tough football guy that never cries. After she died, I found myself wondering if this meant that I loved her any less–"

"Everyone mourns in different ways–"

"I know. And then weeks after she dies, I meet you and I find myself falling for someone again. Once again, I'm asking myself, do I love Maria any less? But I think she'd want me to move on. If she loved me, she'd have wanted me to be happy. I like you and before Eve's party, I was in a good place again.

Then all this stuff comes out about her and Matt and it just takes me back to when I was with Maria. The relationship we had…we were happy together. So why did she cheat on me? If I'm with someone, I'm not going to go off with someone else. Did she not love me anymore?"

"People don't necessarily cheat because they fall out of love." Layla said. "Sometimes it's something more than that–"

"That was the thing with Maria. On the surface, she gives off the vibe of being this completely open person but there was this look in her eye…sometimes you'd think that _maybe_ she was hiding something. I guess this is what she was hiding."

"You're allowed to be hurt over what she did, you know – it was cruel of her. I'm not annoyed that you were upset, that's completely understandable, I'm annoyed that you shut me out. We talked about this, you have to let me in–"

"I needed time to clear my head. I thought that seeing you…well, I honestly don't know what I thought," he confessed, "but something told me I needed to stay away from you. Then Adam convinced me that staying away from you wouldn't take back what Maria did. He said that all I could do is move forward." John took one of Layla's hands and held it, their fingers lacing together. "I can't believe I'm taking Adam's advice but damn it, I'm here. I'm moving forward."

This was what she wanted to hear more than anything but considering what had happened between them, she didn't want to get hurt. "Are you sure this is what you want? If you're still hurt then please, don't jump into something with me when you're not ready–"

"Lay–"

"Just let me say my bit. Please. You know how much I like you but think about what you want first. Yeah, I want to be with you but if you're not ready, then I'll survive. I'll move on. I'd rather be let down early than get my hopes up and then have them dashed at the last minute." She paused to breathe before looking back at John. "It's your decision completely."

He knew that and that's why it was his own decision to lean over and let his lips briefly touch Layla's. She seemed caught off-guard by the gesture, her eyes remaining open for a moment before he pulled away, their lips remaining centimetres apart. "Moving forward, right?" He whispered.

"Moving forward." She confirmed. They kissed again, this time much deeper as her arms wound around his neck and his around her waist.

Their kiss was cut off, this time by a knock at Layla's bedroom door. They moved apart and Debbie entered the room cautiously. "Sorry to bother you guys but the food's arrived. John, do you want to stay for something to eat?"

"Actually I should probably–" He stopped and looked over at Layla, who mouthed over at him those two words. "–That would be great, Mrs El."

"You can call me Debbie, honey." She pulled John up by the hand and led him down the stairs so he could help her get all the food together.

As Layla followed behind them, she found herself grinning at the sight of her mother and new boyfriend together. John handed her a carton of chow mein and their hands brushed.

He winked at her and her smile didn't falter. _Moving forward_. Layla liked the sound of that.

* * *

Please **review** :) xx

**NEXT TIME – **_Michelle has some wise words for Layla._


End file.
